LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Business Questions

John Baron: To ask the Leader of the House what subjects for topical debates have been proposed to her in each week of the current session; how many proposals she received for each subject; and what criteria she used to choose the subjects upon which topical debates have been held.

Harriet Harman: I do not intend to publicise the proposed subjects or the number of requests for topical debates.
	On 25 October 2007 the House agreed with the recommendations in the Government Response to the First Report of the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons on Revitalising the Chamber: the role of the back bench Member (CM7231). The recommendation set out stated:
	"The selection of debate—not least to ensure that the subject is genuinely "regional, national or international" which could not be guaranteed under a ballot system—would be announced by the Leader of the House following discussions in the usual channels and following the representations from opposition parties and backbenchers".
	The criteria I have used have been announced to the House on several occasions including at business questions on 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 974:
	"The subject should be topical; the House has not had an opportunity to debate it; it is a matter of public policy; it is a matter of public concern, and it is of international, national or regional importance".

Communications Allowance

Francis Maude: To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to bring forward proposals to increase the Communications Allowance; and what increase she intends to propose.

Helen Goodman: In accordance with the resolution of the House of 28 March, the Communications Allowance is increased on 1 April each year by the percentage increase in the retail price index as at 31 December the preceding year.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff work in her Office's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Harriet Harman: My private office effectively manages both parliamentary questions and correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.
	Last session my office answered 100 per cent. of named day questions on the specified day and 99 per cent. of ordinary written questions within five working days.
	To date, 94 per cent. of correspondence from MPs and Peers has been responded to within 15 working days.
	No analysis has been undertaken on the amount of time spent dealing with both these issues. There are no plans to do so.

Development of Policy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Leader of the House what steps the Government has  (a) taken and  (b) facilitated to improve the means available to (i) hon. Members and (ii) this House to hold the Government to account and influence the development of policy.

Harriet Harman: The Government have taken a number of steps to promote the ability of Members and of the House to hold the Government to account and to influence the development of policy, though these are not all recorded centrally (some for example will have been the responsibility of individual departments) and it is not possible to break them down in the way proposed.
	Major reforms promoted or facilitated by the Government since 1997 have included:
	increased the number of bills published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny
	publication of a draft legislative programme
	publication of Explanatory Notes with bills, and other developments in supporting material published with bills
	improved impact assessment and consultation processes
	establishment of the UK National Parliament Office in Brussels
	establishment of oral and written evidence-taking powers for public bill committees
	introduction of Westminster Hall as a parallel debating chamber
	increased resources for select committees
	increased staffing and other resources for individual Members
	regular appearances of the Prime Minister before the Liaison Committee
	reduced notice for oral questions and the introduction of topical oral questions
	introduction of a weekly topical debate
	introduction of a system of written questions in September
	greater certainty for Members in parliamentary business and the annual parliamentary calendar
	updated Ministerial Code and new Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
	I refer the hon. Member also to the statement by the Prime Minister of 3 July and the "Governance of Britain Green Paper (Cm 7170) published that day, which contains a range of further measures and proposals designed to promote the role and powers of the House.

Inquiries: Ministerial Statements

Justine Greening: To ask the Leader of the House what departmental  (a) reviews and  (b) inquiries have been announced in Ministerial oral statements since 27 June; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Between 27 June and 13 December 2007 there were 48 oral statements made to the House. The content of these statements is available as a matter of public record.

Members' Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House how many letters her office received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The information requested is not available in the form requested. Information is available for the calendar years 2005-07 as follows:
	
		
			   Number of MPs' and Peers' letters received  Percentage of MPs' and Peers' correspondence answered within target  Percentage of Peers' correspondence answered within target 
			 2004 493 95 100 
			 2005 302 97 100 
			 2006 371 95 97 
			 2007(1) 426 97 100 
			 (1) Up to 1 November

Office Facilities

John Mann: To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members own the property in which the office facilities for which they claim office accommodation costs are situated; and how many hon. Members have such office facilities situated in property owned by the political party of which they are a member.

Helen Goodman: The Green Book (Parliamentary Salaries, Allowances and Pensions) does not allow Members to lease office accommodation from themselves. However, Members may use part of their home as an office for their Parliamentary duties, or any other building which they lease or own. They may claim for any additional costs incurred, but not leasing or mortgage costs. Figures are not readily available for the number of Members who do so.
	Approximately 180 Members currently have office facilities situated in property owned by a political party.

Parliamentary Scrutiny: EC Action

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House what the terms of reference are for the Deputy Leader of the House's review of the system of scrutiny for European matters; when she expects recommendations arising from that review to be made; and what the timetable is for publication of those recommendations.

Helen Goodman: On behalf of the Leader of the House, I am considering issues relating to the operation and reform of the system for scrutiny of European Union documents in this House. This follows from the recommendations made in the report from the Modernisation Select Committee in its Second Report of Session 2004-05 (HC 465) and from the debate on 25 October relating to the composition of European Standing Committees. I hope to bring forward proposals before the current temporary resolution governing the composition of European Standing Committees, agreed following that debate, expires in February 2008.

Parliamentary Scrutiny: Legislation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Leader of the House in respect of what legislation she plans to provide for post-legislative scrutiny.

Helen Goodman: Departmental and other select committees in the Commons may already conduct post-legislative scrutiny exercises on any Acts falling within their area of activity, either as a separate inquiry or as part of other inquiries. Many committee inquiries contain elements of post-legislative scrutiny. In respect of certain Acts, specific provision for post-legislative scrutiny is included within the terms of the Act (for example the Pensions Act 2007). The Government expects to be responding shortly to the recommendations of the Law Commission, in its 2006 Report on "Post-Legislative Scrutiny" (Cm 6945), relating to a more systematic approach to post-legislative scrutiny.

Street Trading: Regulation

Brian Iddon: To ask the Leader of the House which local authorities have promoted private Bills to regulate the street trading activities of pedlars in each year since 1997; and what private bills including such regulation have been enacted since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The following is a list of private Acts which have been considered by Parliament since 1997. This includes two local authority Bills currently before Parliament and a further four new private Bills which have been deposited.
	 Private Acts
	City of Westminster Act 1999 c.i
	City of Newcastle upon Tyne Act 2000 c.viii
	Medway Council Act 2004 c.v
	London Local Authorities Act 2004 c.i
	Leicester City Council Act 2006 c.ii
	Liverpool City Council Act 2006 c.iii
	Maidstone Borough Council Act 2006 c.iv
	 New Bills deposited on 27 November 2007
	Canterbury City Council Bill
	Leeds City Council Bill
	Nottingham City Council Bill
	Reading Borough Council Bill
	 Bills currently before Parliament
	Bournemouth Borough Council Bill (First Reading 22.1.2007)
	Manchester City Council Bill (First Reading 22.1.2007)
	 Note
	Equivalent public legislation applies to Northern Ireland: Street Trading Act (Northern Ireland) Act 2001 c.8

WALES

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Peter Hain: Nil.
	The Wales Office has one diversity and equality co-ordinator and a diversity and equality champion on our management board. Being a small office this role is covered on a voluntary basis in addition to a full-time Wales Office post. Wales Office staff and managers are also able to access help and support on diversity matters from the Ministry of Justice.

PRIME MINISTER

Combat Stress

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has visited the Combat Stress centres at  (a) Tyrwhitt House,  (b) Hollybush House and  (c) Audley Court in the last six months.

Gordon Brown: A list of my public visits made within the UK will be published in the usual way after the end of the financial year.

Departmental Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Prime Minister how many letters his Office received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997.

Gordon Brown: My Office received approximately 500,000 items of post during the 2006-07 parliamentary session, including a number of campaign cards and letters, and over 3,100 items of correspondence from MPs and peers.
	For information for the parliamentary sessions 2004-05 and 2005-06 I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my predecessor (right hon. Tony Blair) on 21 July 2005,  Official Report, columns 1935-36W and 15 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 785-86W. Information for previous sessions is not available in the format requested.

Departmental Email

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister whether he personally uses an email account in the course of his duties.

Gordon Brown: Members of the public can email me via the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page821.asp
	A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Manpower

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister how many officials worked for him outside No. 10 Downing Street in  (a) May 2007 and  (b) December 2007, broken down by area; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 48W.

Ministerial Policy Advisors: Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost of severance pay for special advisers who left the Government between April and November 2007 or the nearest period for which figures are available.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) on 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2051W.

Plastics: Packaging

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what supermarkets he has held meetings with to discuss throw-away plastic carrier bags.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. In addition my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and his ministerial team regularly meet with representatives from supermarkets to discuss a wide range of issues, including those related to carrier bags and waste.

Trade Unions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 592W, on trade unions, if he will make it his policy to place in the Library at regular intervals a list giving details of all meetings held with trade union leaders.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 592W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Statement by the Prime Minister of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 304, on Afghanistan, how many of his Department's personnel serve in the collocated headquarters.

Douglas Alexander: On security grounds, we do not reveal the location of DFID personnel in Afghanistan.

ApTibet: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the EU on the  (a) provision and  (b) potential clawback of funding in relation to ApTibet; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: No representations have been made by DFID to the EU in relation to ApTibet.

China: Bears

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1084W, on China: bears, if he will make it his policy to offer assistance to the Chinese government to end bear bile farming in China; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: We do not intend to make any representations to the Chinese government on this matter.

China: Bears

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will meet representatives of Animals Asia to discuss bile extraction from bears in China.

Shahid Malik: DFID officials in China would be happy to meet with Animals Asia for a briefing.

Departmental Data Protection

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many confirmed security breaches of databases controlled by his Department occurred in each of the last five years; whether the breach resulted from internal or external sources in each case; how many records were compromised on each occasion; and what estimate was made of the total number of records accessible to the individuals concerned.

Gareth Thomas: Except in exceptional cases, when it is in the public interest, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on breaches of security.

HIV Infection: Children

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the development of infant diagnostics for HIV in resource-limited settings; and what projects he has to achieve this.

Shahid Malik: Infant diagnostics for HIV continue to be a challenge in resource-limited settings. The most common way to test for HIV is to identify antibodies to the virus, but antibody tests are not reliable in very young children. A new approach to HIV diagnosis in infants was therefore introduced in some African countries in late 2006. This involves testing 'dry blood spots' collected in a way that does not need specialist equipment at the point of care. This technology offers a vital opportunity for timely access to lifesaving treatment and care services for children who are infected with HIV. However, these services are just getting started in many countries and therefore relatively few infants have been able to receive such tests to date.
	The UK announced support of €20 million for UNITAID in September 2006, as part of a 20 year commitment, increasing to €60 million per year by 2010 subject to performance. This month, UNITAID, together with UNICEF, launched a joint initiative that will include support to early paediatric diagnosis to improve early access to paediatric HIV treatment for HIV-infected infants.

Kenya: Ebola Virus

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has offered to the government of Kenya to help deal with the recent Ebola outbreak in the Bundibugyo district.

Gareth Thomas: There are no confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya. However, Kenya is rightly on alert and preparation measures are being put into place. The management of outbreaks is led by the Epidemic Task Force at national level and the measures taken include communication to the public, limited screening of passengers from at-risk areas, preparation of case management guidelines, provision of personal protective gear to health workers and heightened surveillance.
	The World Health Organisation (WHO) is leading the support from development partners. DFID is contributing to WHO's technical assistance. The Center for Disease Control (US Government) is also providing support.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many letters his Department received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997.

Shahid Malik: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1084W.

Policy and Research Unit

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in respect of the proposed Policy and Research Unit envisaged in his Department's strategic grant agreement with the UK Co-operative Movement.

Shahid Malik: Between 2003 and early 2007, a total of £460,000 was provided under a Strategic Grant Agreement between this Department and the UK Co-operative College. Since then, we have been in discussion with the college over a proposal to establish a programme of policy research that would analyse and highlight the value and effectiveness of co-operatives and other forms of social enterprise. DFID no longer runs a Strategic Grant scheme, so we are exploring various alternative channels for funding this proposed programme and hope to conclude an agreement in early 2008.

Somalia: International Assistance

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1042W, on Somalia: international assistance, whether the Government will provide  (a) financial and  (b) logistical support for the French initiative to protect humanitarian supply ships sailing to Somalia from incidents of piracy.

Gareth Thomas: We commend the French initiative to provide protection to ships delivering aid to Somalia for the World Food Programme. The UK is not currently providing any financial or logistical support to France for this initiative. We will continue to monitor progress with the initiative and consider any future assistance as necessary. The UK continues to attach great importance to the need to ease the critical humanitarian situation in Somalia. We have contributed £8.6 million in additional funds since January this year to help those worst affected by the conflict and malnutrition.

Uganda: Overseas Aid

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will provide an update on the financial sector deepening project in Uganda.

Gareth Thomas: We have provided £7 million over the past six years to deepen the capacity of Uganda's financial sector to meet the financial needs of poor rural and urban households. Our support has contributed towards Uganda being recognised internationally as a success story in microfinance. We are working closely with other donors and government to agree how our support should be continued. Our current phase of support finishes this January.
	Our support has helped the implementation of a major survey to develop comprehensive national data on financial access in Uganda for the first time. Ugandans are now better informed when designing policies to support the sector. In addition our programme has supported a financial consumer education campaign to better inform microfinance consumers of their rights and responsibilities. The programme also helped a range of financial institutions improve services to better meet the needs of over 750,000 clients and establish over 4,000 self-managed village savings and loan associations. This has helped provide financial services to those who miss out on services from formal financial institutions.

Uganda: Overseas Aid

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will implement in other countries a financial sector deepening project such as that under way in Uganda.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development is engaged in a range of financial deepening projects in a number of countries. For example, we are implementing programmes in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania and in Bangladesh and Pakistan. We are committed to supporting the development of strong and inclusive financial sectors that contribute to growth and poverty reduction, and to working in partnership with other donors, partner governments and financial sector institutions.
	In Uganda, we have provided £7 million over the past six years to deepen the capacity of the financial sector to meet the financial needs of poor rural and urban households. Our support has contributed towards Uganda being recognised internationally as a success story in microfinance.

Zimbabwe: Asylum

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent estimate is of the number of Zimbabwean refugees in countries neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Gareth Thomas: It is estimated that between 1.1 million and 3 million Zimbabweans are living in countries neighbouring Zimbabwe. Reliable figures are hard to obtain as many Zimbabweans have crossed borders illegally. The UN and governments in host countries consider most of those who have left Zimbabwe to be economic migrants. As economic migrants they are not recognised as refugees nor protected under various international conventions governing the treatment of refugees. Over 160,000 Zimbabweans were deported from South Africa up to the end of October 2007, already a significant increase on the numbers deported in the whole of 2006.
	DFID is supporting the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide humanitarian assistance to Zimbabweans deported from South Africa through the Beitbridge Reception Centre. IOM provides information on how to migrate legally and safely through its nationwide 'Safe Migration' campaign. We have recently approved a programme to support and protect Zimbabwean children in Limpopo Province in South Africa. The UK Government are also providing humanitarian assistance to Zimbabweans in Johannesburg through the British High Commission in Pretoria.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Political Levy

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what information the Speaker's Committee has on guidance or instruction given by the Commission to  (a) board members and  (b) staff who join the Public and Commercial Services Union on whether they should opt out of the political levy; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has given no such guidance or instruction.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission seeks to gather information on the validity of the numbers of members affiliated by a trade union to the Labour Party by reference to the number of members in that union paying the political levy.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance the Electoral Commission has produced for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) on accepting and declaring donations and loans; on what date that guidance was published; and whether it was sent to each MSP.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the most recent version of its guidance on donations and loans for regulated donees, including MSPs, was published on its website www.electoralcommission.org.uk, on 3 November 2006.
	The Commission wrote to all political parties with MSPs on 21 November 2006 regarding the new loans provisions introduced by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and the implications for regulated donees. The letter provided a link to the Commission's guidance on its website.

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission has produced guidance for regulated donees who are hon. Members on whether subsidising of their websites by trade unions must be declared as a donation or donation in kind.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me it publishes Donations and loans: guidance for Members of Parliament. This provides guidance on the treatment of cash and non cash donations, and is available in the Library or on the Commission's website:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office has no central record of EU and non-EU foreign nationals in our employment. The Northern Ireland civil service is currently examining monitoring of nationality and will be discussing with the Equality Commission how to take this forward. Whatever procedures are agreed will also apply to the Northern Ireland Office.

Prisons

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional personnel will be required to service the proposed new prison for adult males in Northern Ireland; and what estimate he has made of the number of construction jobs created in building the new facility.

Paul Goggins: Magilligan prison currently employs 441 staff. It is not possible at this stage to determine the final staffing levels for the proposed new prison.
	It is anticipated that construction of the new prison will start in 2011-12 on a phased basis. While it is not possible to determine the number of construction jobs required to build the new facility, it will provide additional employment opportunities.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made in the replacement of animals in scientific procedures; and how many animals she estimates would have been used in excess of the figure actually used, in the absence of Government action to promote such replacement in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: The licensing system under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is demand-led and the Home Office has no control over the number of project licence applications received. Our objective is to minimise the number of animals used in particular programmes of work. We cannot influence the overall amount of animal research which takes place as this is determined by a number of factors, including the economic climate and global trends in scientific endeavour.
	We are, however, fully committed to encouraging the development of alternatives to animal experimentation where this is possible and under the 1986 Act, the use of animals in scientific procedures will not be licensed if alternative non-animal techniques are available. The establishment of the National Centre for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) by Government in May 2004 and continued contributions to its funding by the Home Office demonstrates our ongoing commitment in this area.
	Assessing the overall impact of the adoption of non-animal methods is not easy, however some insights can be drawn from the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals published each year. For example, the use of such methods has reduced the number of mice used each year for monoclonal antibody production from several thousand to zero. Also, between 1996 and 2005 the introduction of the Limulus Assay for some classes of pyrogen testing reduced rabbit use for this purpose from 16,457 to 8,769.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places are available in residential drug treatment and rehabilitation centres in  (a) the Wakefield area,  (b) Hemsworth constituency and  (c) England; and if she will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	According to Bedvacs, the on-line database of residential rehabilitation services, there are no residential rehabilitation facilities physically located in the Wakefield area.
	To make best use of available capacity across the country, clients are regularly placed into residential rehabilitation facilities outside the area of residence of the client. Residential rehabilitation services usually have national catchment areas and clients will access them from across the country. The area of the client's residence has the responsibility for providing funding for residential rehabilitation services based on individual need.
	The Wakefield drug action team covers all localities within the area, including Hemsworth.
	There were 2,222 beds available for drug dependent clients in England listed on Bedvacs, as of 7 December 2007.

Genetics: Databases

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have records on the DNA database, broken down by police force area.

Meg Hillier: The information requested is shown in the following table. The figures given show the number of subject sample profiles retained on the National DNA Database at 25 October 2007 which were taken by forces in England and Wales, and the number of individuals that these profiles represent. They include over 26,000 subject sample profiles taken from volunteers.
	It is currently estimated that 13.7 per cent. of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. that a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). Thus the number of individuals on the database is approximately 13.7 per cent. fewer than the number of subject profiles. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database. Nonetheless, a long-term exercise is under way to identify issues associated with the removal of all such redundant replicate profiles.
	Information on the NDNAD is recorded on the basis of the police force which took the DNA sample. The address of the person sampled is not recorded. Thus the figure for Suffolk (for example) includes people from outside Suffolk whose DNA was sampled by Suffolk police, and excludes people from Suffolk whose DNA was sampled by forces elsewhere.
	
		
			  Force  Total profiles on 25 October 2007  Total individuals on 25 October 2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 95,577 82,483 
			 Beds 43,081 37,179 
			 British Transport 42,566 36,734 
			 Cambridgeshire 51,250 44,229 
			 Cheshire 75,867 65,473 
			 City of London 22,148 19,114 
			 Cleveland 49,098 42,372 
			 Cumbria 42,488 36,667 
			 Derbyshire 83,398 71,972 
			 Devon and Cornwall 104,028 89,776 
			 Dorset 47,474 40,970 
			 Durham 50,108 43,243 
			 Dyfed Powys 47,536 41,024 
			 Essex 117,624 101,510 
			 Gloucestershire 42,091 36,325 
			 Greater Manchester 234,555 202,421 
			 Gwent 49,478 42,700 
			 Hampshire 135,465 116,906 
			 Hertfordshire 70,003 60,413 
			 Humberside 79,353 68,482 
			 Kent 134,403 115,990 
			 Lancashire 134,159 115,779 
			 Leicestershire 63,973 55,209 
			 Lincolnshire 45,030 38,861 
			 Merseyside 122,222 105,478 
			 Metropolitan 773,361 667,411 
			 Norfolk 62,707 54,116 
			 North Wales 55,694 48,064 
			 North Yorkshire 53,422 46,103 
			 Northamptonshire 41,945 36,199 
			 Northumbria 158,559 136,836 
			 Nottinghamshire 94,900 81,899 
			 South Wales 111,714 96,409 
			 South Yorkshire 112,143 96,779 
			 Staffordshire 91,454 78,925 
			 Suffolk 44,572 38,466 
			 Surrey 57,277 49,430 
			 Sussex 107,150 92,470 
			 Thames Valley 139,175 120,108 
			 Warwickshire 30,317 26,164 
			 West Mercia 72,910 62,921 
			 West Midlands 279,511 241,218 
			 West Yorkshire 206,221 177,969 
			 Wiltshire 47,147 40,688 
			 Total 4,523,154 3,903,482

Illegal Immigrants: Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring her Department conducts of the number of foreign nationals residing in Northern Ireland; and what steps she is taking to tackle illegal immigration in Northern Ireland.

Liam Byrne: As with the previous parliamentary question answered 17 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 965-66W, the Border and Immigration Agency (the Agency) does not disaggregate statistics for areas within the UK. Migrants who are legally authorized to live and work in the UK may move freely within the UK and are subject to the legal constraints of their immigration status.
	The Agency maintains records on Managed Migration, Asylum (Including Failed Asylum Seekers), and Foreign National Prisoners on a UK wide basis. The Agency works closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland to combat illegal migration within Northern Ireland. The agency have immigration staff based in Belfast responsible for identifying illegal migrants in Northern Ireland. Activity is targeted according to intelligence received. The police prosecute on our behalf in appropriate cases, while the Agency is responsible for the administrative removal of those found in Northern Ireland unlawfully.
	There is also a Managed Migration Compliance Team in Northern Ireland who work with employers and educational establishments to assist them to become a sponsor under the Points Based System. Should the compliance team uncover any illegal working it is passed to the relevant Intelligence unit for further investigation and action as specified above.
	The Agency operates borders controls on international flights into Northern Ireland. We also work with the Garda National Immigration Bureau in Dublin to deal with migrants who cross the land border into Northern Ireland.

Young Offenders: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many cautions were issued to those under 16 years of age in  (a) Southend and  (b) each police force area in Essex in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many cautions were issued in Southend in each of the last five years; for what categories of offences cautions were issued; whether cautions may be repeated in respect of one individual for the same offence; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of offenders aged 10 to 15 who were given final warning and reprimands for all offences in Essex police force area for the years 2001 to 2005 are given in the table. From June 2000, cautions for offenders under 18 years old were replaced by reprimands and final warnings. Data for 2006 will be available in late November of 2007.
	Cautions data are only collected by the Ministry of Justice by police force area. Information held centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by individual police services area within Essex nor can data be provided for the number of cautions issued in Southend.
	If a caution has been received previously for any offence then a further simple caution should not be considered unless the current offence is trivial or unrelated to previous offences, or at least two years have passed indicating that the previous caution has had a significant deterrent effect. To help police officers exercise their discretion, guidance from the Home Office requires the police to check nationally and locally held records before administering a simple caution.
	A simple caution is a non-statutory disposal which allows the police to deal quickly and simply with less serious offences, to divert offenders where appropriate from appearing in criminal courts and to reduce the likelihood of re-offending. Whether to caution an offender for a criminal offence is an operational matter for the police, and, in the case of indictable-only offences, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The police must consider whether a simple caution is appropriate to the offence and the offender, and whether it is likely to be effective in the circumstances.
	
		
			  The number of offenders aged 10 to 15 years-old who were given final warnings or reprimands for all offences in Essex police force area for the years 2001 to 2005( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Age 
			   10  11  12  13  14  15  Total 
			 2001 42 85 178 325 456 496 1,582 
			 2002 31 62 154 321 374 393 1,335 
			 2003 30 60 152 259 383 384 1,268 
			 2004 35 77 185 312 423 504 1,536 
			 2005 87 133 273 511 772 722 2,498 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.   Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS - OCJR, Ministry of Justice

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Animal Experiments

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government have taken to reduce the numbers of animals used for research purposes.

Ian Pearson: In 2004 Government established the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NCSRs) to advance and promote the replacement, refinement and reduction of the use of animals in research. This is the first such centre to be established in the world and it receives funding from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) via the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). In September this year, I announced NCSRs would receive £2.4 million, an increase of £1 million, for 11 new 3Rs projects. The CSR period will see further increased funding rising from £2.3 million in 2007-08 to just over £5 million in 2010-11. The centre also received £250,000 funding from the Home Office in 2007-08. Home Office funding after 2007-08 will be confirmed in due course.
	The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) regulates the use of animals in scientific procedures in the UK. The principles of the 3Rs are implicit in the ASPA; all UK scientists are therefore legally obliged to use alternative approaches to the use of animals where possible, to use the minimum number of animals, and to use protocols which cause the least pain, suffering or distress.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeship places were (i) provided, (ii) filled and (iii) completed in England for those years for which data is available.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The ILR is a census of activity capturing provision that learners enrol on and not the number of places that are available to learners. The standard measure of success used is the success rate, which refers to the proportion of those who both complete and achieve the full apprenticeship framework in a given year. The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts in each year and success rates from August to July each year.
	
		
			   Advanced Apprenticeship( 1)  Apprenticeship( 1) 
			   Starts( 2)  (thousand)  Success rate( 2)  (percentage)  Starts( 2)  (thousand)  Success rate( 2)  (percentage) 
			 2002-03 51,661 26 129,006 22 
			 2003-04 56,959 32 136,606 30 
			 2004-05 53,893 38 134,503 40 
			 2005-06 50,628 53 120,682 53 
			 2006-07 54,845 64 125,266 62 
			 (1) Figures for 2002/-3 and 2003-04 are for advanced modern apprenticeships and foundation modern apprenticeships. (2) The success rates shown in the table cannot be directly related to the number of starts in the same year because the 'starts' in any year are a different cohort of learners to those completing in that year.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) apprenticeships,  (b) level 2 apprenticeships and  (c) advanced apprenticeships there are, broken down by age group (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to 25 and (iii) over 25 year olds.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts from August 2006 to July 2007. Apprenticeships are at level 2 and advanced apprenticeships are at level 3. (A further breakdown by adult ages is not readily available.)
	
		
			   Advanced apprenticeship  Apprenticeship 
			   16 to 18  19+  Total  16 to 18  19+  Total 
			 Starts 23,741 31,104 54,845 79,054 46,212 125,266

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which apprenticeships are only available at level 2, broken down by framework.

David Lammy: All Apprenticeships at level 2 have progression opportunities to advanced apprenticeships at level 3 in the same occupational area. The following are apprenticeship titles which are available only at level 2 and which lead to progression on to related advanced apprenticeships at the next level:
	Animal Technology
	Carry and Deliver goods
	Dry Stone Walling
	Fencing
	Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
	Fitted Interiors
	Industrial Applications
	Mail Services
	Manufacturing (Engineering)
	Munitions Clearance and Search Occupations
	Optical Apprenticeship
	Passenger Carrying Vehicles Driving—Bus and Coach
	Polymers/Sign making
	Ports Industry
	Public Services
	Rail Transport Operations
	Saddlery
	Safety, Security and Loss Prevention and Retail and Leisure Security
	Security Systems
	Support Services in Health Care
	Team Leading
	Textile Industry
	Trees and Timber.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: As the Department was formed this year we do not have five years of waste recycling to report on.
	The Department's accommodation is currently located within buildings managed by DCSF and DBERR and as such would normally be reported within their estates performance on sustainable operations on the Government estate.

Higher Education: Iran

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students subject to Foreign and Commonwealth Office visa requirements before entering the UK to study at university have studied at the Imam Hossein University in Tehran.

Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep records of which overseas universities student applicants have studied at. This information could only be provided by examination of individual visa application forms and therefore at disproportionate cost.

Science: North West Region

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the comprehensive spending review on  (a) major science research projects in the North West and  (b) physics departments in North Western universities.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 11 December 2007
	Funding for science over the three years of the comprehensive spending review will increase in real terms by 2.7 per cent. per annum in line with the Government's commitment given in the 10 Year Science and Innovation Framework 2004-14 to increase funding in line with GDP growth. The Government have commissioned two reviews of particular relevance to the future of major science research projects and physics departments in the North West. It has asked Sir Tom McKillop to advise on the best way to implement the Government's vision for the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus as part of his independent review into the future of the Manchester City Region and the North West economy. The Government have also asked Research Councils UK to conduct a number of further reviews of the health of disciplines in the UK. Bill Wakeham, Vice Chancellor of Southampton University, will lead the first of these reviews, which will address the health of physics in the UK.

UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the estimate of  (a) running costs and  (b) other costs for the proposed UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation.

Ian Pearson: Detailed proposals for the scheme, which will include an estimate of the financial costs, will be developed in 2008. The annual running costs of the centre will be determined as the final scientific plan is developed.

UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of moving the National Institute for Medical Research to become part of the proposed new UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation;
	(2)  what contribution the Medical Research Council will make to the costs of the proposed UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation;
	(3)  if he will break down the £500 million allocation announced by the Prime Minister for the establishment of the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI) by main budget heading; what estimate he has made of annual staffing costs of the UKCMRI; and whether the £500 million figure is an indicative budget.

Ian Pearson: Detailed proposals for the scheme, which will include the proposed financial contribution of the current, and any future partners, will be developed in 2008. The cost of moving the NIMR to its new site has therefore yet to be determined and will in part rely upon the detailed analysis of the scientific advisory team and the yet to be appointed project director and his/her team. While the project cost has been broadly estimated by the consortium at around £500 million, this figure is indicative only and has yet to be finalised for future programme evaluation purposes, as has the total cost to the MRC. The annual cost of the centre will therefore be determined as the final scientific plan is developed.

UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many scientists have been consulted about the proposal to move the National Institute for Medical Research from its current site.

Ian Pearson: The MRC is working closely with staff at the NIMR to discuss progress and develop the proposals for the UKCMRI. Representatives from each partner organisation will contribute directly to the development of the scientific vision through the Scientific Advisory Committee.
	Previous consultation on the renewal of the NIMR have involved the MRC Council, whose members are predominantly scientists, and specialist groups such as the Forward Investment Strategy Group and the Task Force whose membership comprised leading UK and international scientists. More generally, the proposed relocation of the NIMR was included in the Research Council's Roadmap 2007 which still is the subject of a public consultation.

UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what the full terms of reference are of the Scientific Advisory Committee announced by the Prime Minister on 5 December to oversee the establishment of the proposed UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation;
	(2)  by what process appointments will be made to the Scientific Advisory Committee announced by the Prime Minister on 5 December to oversee the establishment of the proposed UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation.

Ian Pearson: The remit of the Scientific Advisory Committee to be chaired by Sir Paul Nurse will be to advise the consortium on: scientific direction, supporting facilities, high level design principles to maximise scientific synergy and the scale and scope of space for translational activities. They will also consider the potential for collaboration with other organisations.
	The membership of the Scientific Planning Committee will bring together representatives from the partner organisations with additional independent members identified in consultation between Sir Paul Nurse and consortium partners.

UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department spent developing the proposal to move the National Institute for Medical Research to the site formerly occupied by the National Temperance Hospital.

Ian Pearson: Prior to June 2006, when plans for the UKCMRI began to develop, the MRC had spent £0.8 million on development costs in relation to the National Temperance Hospital site. Detailed proposals for the UKCMRI will be developed in 2008. However, a significant proportion of this earlier expenditure has directly informed the MRC's contribution to its development of an outline business case for UKCMRI.

Vocational Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent on average per skills for life course place in each year since 2003; and what the equivalent figure is expected to be in each year to 2011.

David Lammy: The following table outlines the cost for each Skills for Life enrolment through the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) further education funding budget in 2005-06 and the estimated cost per enrolment from 2006-07 onwards.
	
		
			   Cost per enrolment—FE only  (£) 
			 2005-06 439 
			 2006-07 620 
			 2007-08 637 
			 2008-09 652 
			 2009-10 672 
			 2010-11 688 
		
	
	This information is based on the LSC's 2005-06 data return which provides the most complete set of enrolment data returns in 2005-06 and is the earliest dataset available to model this information. Further education funding also accounts for 75 to 80 per cent. of total Skills for Life funding each year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether it is the House's policy to use  (a) incandescent light bulbs and  (b) LED lights for the festive decorations on the Commons part of the Parliamentary Estate.

Nick Harvey: The House's energy policy requires that energy efficiency is considered in relation to carrying out works around the estate. In relation to festive lighting the larger Christmas trees provided by the House in New Palace Yard and Westminster Hall, are fitted with LED bulbs. The remaining trees are provided with incandescent bulbs.
	It is not House policy to stipulate that all festive decorations brought on to the parliamentary estate must contain LED rather than incandescent lights. Some of the festive lights have been used for several years.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what his Department's policy is on the selection of  (a) real and  (b) artificial Christmas trees for festive decorations on the Commons part of the Parliamentary estate; and how real trees are disposed of.

Nick Harvey: Real Christmas trees are provided by the House for general areas such as New Palace Yard and Westminster Hall and for catering areas. They are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way being turned into mulch. Artificial trees in some staff areas, for example at reception desks and in offices, are purchased by staff themselves and used from year to year.

Management and Services of the House of Commons Review

Frank Doran: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what response the Commission has made to the review by Sir Kevin Tebbit of the management and services of the House.

Nick Harvey: The Commission has considered comments made on the Tebbit review in the debate in Westminster Hall on 18 October and taken into account the views of the Administration, Audit and Finance and Services Committees. A response to the 56 recommendations has been agreed by the Commission and will be published on 19 December as HC 193. Copies will be available on the website at:
	www.parliament.uk/about_commons/house_of_commons_commission_/workinfo.cfm
	The process of implementing the review has already started and will continue throughout 2008.

Visitor Reception Building

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when he expects the Visitor Reception Building to open; what the expected cost of the new building was  (a) at the commencement of building,  (b) on 1 January 2006,  (c) on 1 January 2007 and  (d) on 1 November 2007; and what the final cost is expected to be.

Nick Harvey: The works were originally planned to be completed on 8 September 2006 and we now expect the site to be handed over to the Houses before Christmas 2007. The building is expected to open in early 2008. An exact date will be announced in the new year.
	The original cost for the visitor reception building (which was part of a wider project of works in the Westminster Hall area) stated in the business case was £8,687,500. Work started on 9 January 2006. On 1 January 2007 the estimated cost was £8,727,500. Taking into account the delay and remedial work, by 1 November 2007 the cost was estimated at £11,200,000. While this is now expected to be the total cost of the building, some additional equipment will cost up to £250,000. Professional fees for completing the project and reviewing the lessons learned may add about £1 million more to the total cost. All the costs are shared between the Commons and Lords in the proportions of 60:40.

Visitor Reception Building

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission which company won the contract to build the Visitor Reception Building; whether the contract was advertised; how many companies applied for the contract; how many were short listed; what criteria were used for choosing a company; what recent discussions the House of Commons Commission has with the successful company about completing the contract; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The company which won the competition to construct the visitor reception building is William Verry Ltd. The contract was advertised under EU rules: in all 14 expressions of interest were received and six companies short-listed. Evaluation criteria used for choosing a company were:
	Financial: The liquidity and/or stability of the company.
	Resources: Staff with relevant experience of the roles proposed and of projects of similar extent and nature, plus reserve capacity for the company.
	Experience: The company having relevant experience of similar projects in terms of content, the duties undertaken and value.
	Discussions with the contractor have continued throughout. Following the appointment of a recovery project manager in the summer of 2007, the Commission approved a supplemental agreement with the contractor providing for completion of the building by 31 January 2008.

Visitor Reception Building

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by the House of Commons Commission on the maximum number of persons permitted to stand on the ramp leading to the Visitor Reception Building; who the House of Commons Commission consulted about (i) the design and (ii) construction of the ramp; why the ramp is not covered; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The design of the entrance ramp was included within the general scope of work performed by the consultant structural engineer, Messrs TPS Consult Ltd., who carried out an evaluation of the loading capacity of the ramp based on the current loading-capacity design guidelines for footbridges: the number of persons who may be permitted to stand on it are only limited by the available space to do so.
	The design of the visitor reception building was considered in detail by the local authority and English Heritage, who were insistent the new building should not detract from the architecture of the Palace of Westminster Hall. Accordingly the ramp was not covered as to do so would have impact the view of Westminster Hall as seen from St. Margaret's Street.
	Handling of visitors in the new entrance will be managed by the visitor assistants stationed at the kiosk by St. Stephen's. They will control access to the fast-track and normal channels, to achieve a regular flow of visitors along the ramp, and into the visitor reception building. These plans have been evaluated by the Metropolitan police and the Central Tours Office. The design and construction of the ramp are part of the original design.

Visitor Reception Building

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission who the House of Commons Commission consulted about the location of the Visitor Reception Building; what consideration the House of Commons Commission has given to alternative entry to the Palace of Westminster when Westminster Hall is in use; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The location of the visitor reception building is based on the first report from the then Accommodation and Works and Administration Committees in 2003-04 (HC 324) which was approved by the House on 12 May 2004.
	With the advent of the new security search arrangements in the Visitor reception building, all visitors will enter the Palace via the North Door of Westminster Hall and exit the same way. When events occur in Westminster Hall, visitors will be received through the best available search facility. The VRB will continue to be used, and visitors will if necessary be escorted via Star Chamber Court to their destination. Alternative entry points at Portcullis House and Black Rod's Garden will also be used.

Visitor Reception Building

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what discussions the House of Commons Commission has had with the Metropolitan Police on the  (a) design,  (b) location and  (c) construction of the Visitor Reception Building since the project was initiated; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Metropolitan police have been involved at every stage of the project.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Nitrates

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers did not comply with the action programme under the Nitrates Directive in each year since 1991; and how much total funding was deducted in each year from subsidy payments as a result.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 December 2007
	The Environment Agency is responsible for enforcing compliance in England, with the Action Programme under the nitrates directive. Inspections are undertaken either as part of the cross-compliance enforcement regime (the Action Programme is a statutory management requirement) or as part of the standalone enforcement regime under the nitrates directive. Available enforcement statistics are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of farmers non-compliant 
			   2005  2006  2007( 1) 
			 Cross compliance 15 55 29 
			 Standalone 25 43 41 
			 Total 40 98 70 
			 (1) 12 December 2007. 
		
	
	The cases of non-compliance tabled have, to date, led to 162 producers in England having their subsidy reduced since cross compliance was introduced in 2005. Calculating the total amount of funding deducted in each year from subsidy payments would require intensive interrogation of the single payment scheme database. Therefore it is not possible to provide these figures within the time available.

Agriculture: Non-Domestic Rates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect on farming incomes of the removal of agriculture building relief; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The withdrawal of the agricultural buildings allowance (ABA) is part of a package of measures which also saw the reduction of the main rate of corporation tax and the introduction of a £50,000 annual investment allowance, allowing 95 per cent. of businesses to write off all their expenditure on plant and machinery in the year in which it is made. The effect of this package will vary according to the particular circumstances of a business.

Animal Welfare: Birds of Prey

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many offences were committed against birds of prey in the United Kingdom in the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: No records of offences against birds of prey are kept. Data showing the number of defendants found guilty of bird related offences under Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from 2002 to 2006 in England and Wales are set out in the following table. It is not possible to distinguish between bird species.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts of selected offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006( 1,2) 
			  Offence  Statute  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Protection of captive birds Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 8 2 — 1 2 — 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec1 Protection of wild birds 11 20 52 24 87 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 1 Protection of nests and eggs of wild birds 7 7 8 9 11 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 3 Protection of wild birds in sanctuaries — 1 — — — 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 3 Protection of the nests and eggs of wild birds in sanctuaries — — — — — 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 3 Illegal entry into bird sanctuaries — — — — — 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 5 Prohibition of certain methods of killing or taking wild birds 4 3 1 3 4 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 6 Sale etc. of live or dead wild birds, eggs etc. — — 1 — 1 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Sec 7 Registration etc. of certain captive birds 2 2 1 — — 
			 Total  26 33 64 38 103 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces.

Bellwin Scheme

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to extend funding under the Bellwin Scheme for areas affected by the flooding in Summer 2007 beyond 25 December.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The time limit for eligible spending for Bellwin grant in respect of local authority costs incurred in dealing with the June floods is 14 December 2007. For the July floods, it is 2 January 2008. That represents a considerable extension of the normal two-month period and there are no plans to extend the periods of eligibility further.

Birds: Imports

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) CITES—Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora—and  (b) non-CITES listed birds were imported into the EU each year between 2000 and 2006.

Joan Ruddock: The number of CITES listed birds imported into the EU between 2000 and 2006 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 1,185,362 
			 2001 877,028 
			 2002 512,354 
			 2003 605,915 
			 2004 665,672 
			 2005 612,672 
			 2006 1,121 
		
	
	The UK does not hold records on imports of non-CITES species into the EU.

Cross Departmental Committee for Inland Waterways

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what  (a) staff,  (b) research support and  (c) funding has been allocated to the Cross Departmental Committee for Inland Waterways;
	(2)  whether the Cross Departmental Committee for Inland Waterways is a permanent committee or time limited;
	(3)  who sits on the Cross Departmental Committee for Inland Waterways;
	(4)  what departments are represented on the Cross Departmental Committee for Inland Waterways;
	(5)  what the terms of reference are of the Cross Departmental Committee for Inland Waterways.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Inter-Departmental Working Group on Inland Waterways is supported by the Departments for Transport, Communities and Local Government, Culture, Media and Sport, Health and Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It will also be attended by British Waterways, the Inland Waterways Advisory Council and the Association of Navigation Authorities to inform the discussions and to help develop policy through bringing a delivery and stakeholder focus.
	The first meeting took place on 17 December at which its role and future work were discussed. Terms of reference will now be worked-up for agreement at the next meeting. It is expected that the Group will meet three times a year. The Group itself will decide how long it continues. No specific resources have been allocated to the Group as it will make use of existing departmental resources as appropriate.

Environment Agency: Finance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent changes have there been in the allocation of funding for medium-term plans submitted to the Environment Agency;
	(2)  what score on the Environment Agency's predetermined scale is necessary for an application for medium-term plan funding to be classed as favourable for approval; and what score was needed to reach this rating for each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: From April 2008 and for the three-year comprehensive spending review (CSR) period, the Environment Agency and other operating authorities (i.e. local authorities and internal drainage boards) will deliver a number of outcome measures agreed with DEFRA. Targets will be set in the next few months.
	During the CSR period, the current prioritisation method will migrate to a new system based around these outcome measures. While the new method is being developed and tested, the Environment Agency will use the existing system, moderated to take account of the outcome measures, urgent works or those required to fulfil legal requirements.
	The achievement of these measures is an integral part of the prioritisation of the capital investment programmes for all operating authorities. As a result, all flood management and coastal erosion management schemes will be prioritised on a common basis.
	As part of its strategic overview role for inland flooding and forthcoming strategic overview for matters associated with coastal flooding and erosion, the Environment Agency will administer the grant-in-aid arrangements, including extending its national programme management role to the prioritisation of schemes proposed by other operating authorities.
	The priority score thresholds for the period from 2002-03 to 2005-06 were set by DEFRA as follows:
	
		
			   Priority Score Thresholds 
			 2005-06 19 
			 2004-05 20 
			 2003-04 22 
			 2002-03 20 
		
	
	DEFRA did not set a threshold score in 2006-07 when the Department's programme was fully committed. However, the priority score system has still been used to inform the allocation process for capital investment, moderated for urgent works or those required to fulfil legal requirements.

Floods: House Insurance

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for the Environment Agency's policy that insurers should refuse cover for homes which local authorities have allowed to be built on flood plains; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The decision whether to provide cover to properties on a flood plain is a matter for individual insurance companies. Insurance companies will take their own views on the risks that they are prepared to bear and at what cost; potential purchasers would be well advised to satisfy themselves that insurance will be available in the long term.

Floods: Yorkshire and Humberside

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons he has reduced the budget for the north-east of England for the construction of flood defences, with particular reference to the budget for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State has not reduced the budget for the construction of flood defences in the north of England this year; funding for the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee is a matter for the Environment Agency.

Game Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 537W, on game birds, what the  (a) evidential basis and  (b) methodology was for the estimate the report referred to that 99 per cent. of game birds shot for sport were destined for the food chain; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The report was not commissioned by my Department. Any questions relating to the evidential basis and methodology of it should be referred to the commissioners of the report: the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, the Countryside Alliance, the Game Conservancy Trust or the Country Land and Business Association.

Nitrate Sensitive Areas

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the annual reduction in nitrates that will be achieved by the proposed extension of the closed period in nitrate vulnerable zones.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 December 2007
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment and paper "D5—Impact of the proposed Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Action Programme measures", published in support of the consultation on implementation of the nitrates directive in England, provide details of my Department's assessment of the likely impact of the proposed measures on losses of nitrate from agriculture.
	It is estimated that the closed period for organic manure will reduce nitrate losses from agriculture by 0.5 per cent. to 1 per cent., and the closed period for manufactured nitrogen fertiliser will reduce losses by a further 0 per cent. to 1 per cent.
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment and paper "D5—Impact of the proposed NVZ Action Programme measures" are available through DEFRA'S website.

Renew Defra Programme

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets he has set for the Renew DEFRA programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Renew DEFRA programme is an internal reform programme led by the Permanent Secretary which is due to complete in August 2008.
	Work is being completed on the benefits realisation plan including work on baselining and setting appropriate targets and measures, and this will continue during and beyond the lifetime of the programme.

Water: Nitrates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the level of nitrates in water was  (a) in England and  (b) in Gloucestershire in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide the information requested, as this would require extensive research to be undertaken at a disproportionate cost.
	Approximately 7,000 surface water and 3,000 groundwater monitoring points in England and Wales were used to assess whether waters should be identified as polluted waters, in the recent review under the nitrates directive.

Water: Nitrates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the potential cost to water companies of removing polluting nitrates from water; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The regulatory impact assessment accompanying the consultation on the implementation of the nitrates directive in England, provides details of my Department's assessment of the potential cost to water companies of removing polluting nitrates from water.
	The cost to the water industry to reduce high nitrate levels caused by diffuse pollution in drinking water supplies has been estimated at £288 million (capital expenditure) and £6 million per annum (operating expenditure) for the 2005-10 period.

Wind Power: Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on wind farms; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, regularly meets with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to discuss issues relating to renewable and low carbon energy, including wind farms.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Capita

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 951W, on Capita, what services Capita and its subsidiaries provide to his Department.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not maintain a record of contracts that have been awarded and a complete and accurate answer to the question could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. I can tell the hon. Member, however, from information held centrally that Capita provide the following services to the Department:
	Teachers' Pensions Administration;
	National Strategies;
	Consultancy support for the Children's Services Improvement Framework:
	Project management and construction project management services for academies:
	Management consultancy services to the Department:
	A Criminal Records Bureau checking service for day care providers and
	The supply of interim personnel and consultants for the Office of the Schools Commissioner and Academies.

Children: Autism

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to assist parents whose children are autistic since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The Government have taken a range of steps to assist parents of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).
	The Early Years Support programme has produced a Family Pack, including a booklet containing information for the parents of children with ASDs, who are going through the process of getting a diagnosis or have been recently diagnosed. It was produced in association with the National Autistic Society and Parents' Autism Campaign for Education. Over 50,000 copies have been distributed.
	Under the Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme, the then Department for Education and Skills provided a grant of £220,000 over a three-year period to the TreeHouse Trust in 2006-07. This grant is to carry out work with parents' groups and local authority professionals on collaborative working towards better autism services and making information on ASDs more readily available. This year under this grant programme the Department for Children Schools and Families has awarded The National Autistic Society £200,000 over the next three years. This money will expand provision of courses to provide parents with an overview of autistic spectrum disorders; strategies on improving communication; guidance on educational rights and access to services and benefits.
	The 'Aiming High for Disabled Children' report (May 2007) announced £280 million over 2008-11 to improve provision of short breaks for families of disabled children. Children with ASDs and their parents will benefit from this funding.

Children: Autism

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what resources have been provided for schools to assist with the education of children with autism since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 13 December 2007
	In 2002, the autism working group of the former Department for Education and Skills, published good practice guidance on autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). The guidance is for schools, local authorities and others who provide for children with autism. Part one gives general guidance on autistic spectrum disorders and part two gives pointers to good practice which can be used to audit and develop provision. The online version contains examples to illustrate the pointers. Over 32,000 copies of the guidance have been distributed on demand.
	The Department-funded regional partnerships have also provided resources for schools. For example guidance on delivering the curriculum for children with ASDs in secondary schools (north-west) and a video illustrating effective practice for children with ASDs (south-west). South-central has developed guidance for learning support assistants and Merseyside a transition toolkit for children with ASDs moving from primary to secondary school.
	In 2007-08 six of the nine regional partnerships are being funded for autism related innovation projects. For example the south-east partnership has been awarded a grant of £50,000 to support secondary inclusion for young people with Asperger's syndrome.
	In October this year the Government launched the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP). This £2 million project will improve the skills of teachers by advising them on how to develop teaching strategies for children with SEN and providing guidance on dealing with common classroom challenges. Phase two of the programme, which includes the production of training materials, will focus on support for children with ASDs.
	This year the Government also provided funding for a group of voluntary organisations, The National Autistic Society, the TreeHouse Trust and the Council for Disabled Children, to set up the Autism Education Trust. The trust was launched on 12 November. The aim of the trust is to bring together voluntary and independent providers to plan and develop further improvements in education provision for children with autism.
	In addition to these specific resources, children with ASDs will benefit from the sustained increases in funding for children with all types of special educational need (SEN). Local authorities' planned spending on SEN stood at almost £4.9 billion in 2007-08, up from almost £2.8 billion in 2000-01. Indicative SEN funding in mainstream schools rose by 52 per cent. from almost £1.3 billion in 2003-04 to over £2.0 billion in 2007-08 and school budgets for special schools rose by 31 per cent. from almost £1.1 billion to over £1.4 billion over the same period.

Children: Databases

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to include independent schools in the operation of ContactPoint.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 require independent schools to supply data for inclusion on ContactPoint. The regulations also provide for authorised staff in independent schools to be granted access to the database.
	The Department is currently undertaking a study to assess the options, cost and feasibility of establishing a regular, departmental collection of pupil level data from independent schools.
	Local authorities have been encouraged to approach independent schools in their area, to raise awareness of ContactPoint and to begin to identify which staff in independent schools should have access to ContactPoint.
	The Independent Schools Council has participated in ContactPoint consultations on draft regulations and draft guidance. Officials have met with the Independent Schools Council on a number of occasions and hope to continue to engage them as we finalise the guidance and move towards the implementation of ContactPoint

Children: Day Care

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people in each  (a) income decile,  (b) region and  (c) income decile in each region took up formal childcare in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The 2004 Parents' Childcare Survey(1) estimated that 3.42 million families in England used formal childcare in the last year. The proportion of families who used childcare over the last year by income and region is shown in the following table; income deciles cannot be calculated as the income data is collected in bands rather than actual amounts.
	(1 )Childcare and Early Years Provision: A Study of Report 723; DfES. Bryson, C., Kazimirski, A. and Southwood, H (2006). This report is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR723.pdf
	
		
			  Table: Use of formal childcare in the last year by region and annual household income 
			   Percentage of families 
			   Under £10,000  £10,000  to  £19,999  £20,000  to  £31,999  £32,000+  Total 
			 North East 51 49 50 63 51 
			 North West 47 46 56 67 53 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 49 46 57 69 55 
			 East Midlands 44 55 58 73 59 
			 West Midlands 46 48 61 61 55 
			 East 45 54 56 66 58 
			 London 46 49 59 75 56 
			 South East 47 57 64 69 62 
			 South West 47 51 67 74 59 
			 Total 47 50 59 69 57 
		
	
	Higher income families were more likely to have used childcare in the last year than lower income families; 69 per cent. of families with a yearly income over £32,000 had used formal childcare in the last year, compared with 47 per cent. of families with a yearly income of under £10,000.
	Use of childcare varied by region; 51 per cent. of families in the North East had used formal childcare in the last year compared with 62 per cent. of families in the South East.
	The results from the next Parents' Childcare Survey will be published in February 2008.

Children: Hearing Impaired

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance is issued to local education authorities on the provision of signing assistance in schools for children with hearing impairments;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the educational achievement of  (a) deaf and  (b) hearing impaired children in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: There is no specific guidance issued to local authorities on the provision of signing assistance in schools for children with hearing impairments, however the SEN statutory framework and the SEN code of practice should ensure that all children with special needs have those needs identified and assessed and receive appropriate support.
	It is for local authorities to determine what provision they make for children with special educational needs, including children with hearing impairment, taking into account the needs of the individual child, parental preference and local circumstances.
	Parents of deaf and hearing impaired children with a statement of special educational needs, are able to express a preference for the maintained school they would like their children to attend based on the communication approaches offered by different schools—auditory-oral, total communication and sign bilingualism.
	We do not routinely make a separate assessment of the educational achievement of children with hearing impairment. All pupils both with and without SEN are assessed at the end of key stages of learning and pupils with a statement of SEN have their needs reviewed annually. We are currently in discussion with deaf and hearing impairment organisations about improving the availability of school attainment data for this group of pupils.

Children: Poverty

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department is on course to meet the child poverty target set for 2010.

Beverley Hughes: We remain committed to meeting our poverty targets to halve child poverty by 2010-11, on the way to eradicating it by 2020.
	The publication of a new public service agreement reaffirms our commitment to halving child poverty and we have published a delivery agreement outlining how Government will work together to achieve this.
	Between 1998-99 and 2005-06 the UK saw the biggest child poverty reduction in Europe and 600,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty. Together, PBR and Budget 2007 will lift up to a further 300,000 children out of poverty. Decisions on financial support will continue to be taken at PBRs and Budgets in the usual way.

Children's Centres: Internet

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the Government's policy is on virtual children's centres.

Beverley Hughes: We expect all Sure Start children's centres to have a building as a focal point that is clearly identifiable as the Sure Start children's centre. A centre may comprise several neighbouring buildings each hosting some of the core services, although only one of these should be clearly identified as the reception and act as the centre's postal address. Ideally, we want to see services collocated, and under one roof, but accept that this will not always be achievable. In rural areas for example, where a centre serves families living across a wide geographical area, there will often be a main centre and a number of 'outreach' sites which support the delivery of services close to where families live. We are aware that some local authorities do use the term 'virtual children's centre' where they already have a range of services up and running, serving children and families, but the new building that will be the Sure Start children's centre is still under construction.

Children's Centres: Midwives

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children's centres make facilities available to midwives working in the community.

Beverley Hughes: All Sure Start children's centres should link to maternity services. The Government's Practice Guidance (2006) for local authorities and the health service says that in the most disadvantaged areas we expect to see midwives working from Sure Start children's centres, or having strong links with centres.
	We do not collect information at national level on the nature and extent of services provided in every Sure Start children's centre. We have, however, asked our delivery contractors, Together for Children (TfC), to ensure that local authorities and local health partners are working together to plan and deliver children's centre services. TfC are also collecting evidence of good practice to share and disseminate with local authorities and the health service.

Children's Centres: Standards

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made towards the target for a children's centre in each community by 2010.

Beverley Hughes: As of 13 December there are 1,789 designated Sure Start Children's Centres. The Government are on track to meet its commitment to deliver a Sure Start Children's Centre for every community in England by 2010, offering integrated services that will improve outcomes for young children, and reduce inequalities between the most disadvantaged and the rest.

Children's Review: Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many submissions have been made online to the Children's Review.

Kevin Brennan: Details of responses received on line to the 'Time to talk' consultation can be found in the 'Time to Talk Consultation Report Summary'. The full report is available on the DCSF website. The relevant extract from the report shows:
	
		
			  Response rates 
			  Method  Number of responses from adults  Number of responses from children/young people 
			 Online survey—adults (including adult toolkit response) 1,960 — 
			 Online survey—young people — 103

Climate Change

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) intends to take by (i) 2012 and (ii) 2020 in relation to adaptation to the effects of climate change as they affect his departmental responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 6 December 2007
	The steps the Department has taken and intends to take are set out in the Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP), 'Learning for the Future', covering 2006-08. We recently submitted a progress report on this to the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), the Government's independent watch dog on Sustainable development.
	SDC will be shortly be publishing their analysis of the progress of Government Departments.
	We are currently working on the content of a new SDAP that will cover 2008-10. This will incorporate the Government's overall intentions as laid out in the recent Climate Change Bill and the cross-Government Adaptation Policy Framework to be published in the spring.
	Subsequent SDAPs are likely to continue to reflect the work of the Department in addressing the effects of climate change on children, schools and families.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identities; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Kevin Brennan: We do not produce hard copies of our brand guidelines, but will have one copy printed for the Library, as requested.
	 (a) This year we spent £4,876 on revising existing brand guidelines when the Department for Children, Schools and Families was created.
	 (b) Complying with our brand guidelines incurs no additional cost. They have been designed to minimise costs, as we require no special inks, papers or formats.
	We do not hold information centrally on agencies' costs.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department, its predecessors and its agencies spent on managing their corporate identities in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The costs for producing branded material when the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was created were:
	£14,215 for the design, production and installation of signs (to date).
	£900 to recycle out-of-date stationery stock; electronic headed paper, at no cost, was used until the next scheduled production run of printed stationery.
	A further £3472 of expenditure was incurred recently to replace the Department's signage at our Moorfoot site in Sheffield. However, these costs were primarily related to replacement of dilapidated signage.
	This year we spent £4,876 on revising existing Department for Education and Skills brand guidelines when DCSF was created.
	We do not hold information centrally on agencies' costs.

Departmental Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what targets his Department has sole or joint responsibility; what assessment he has made in each case of whether the target is being met; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department published its autumn performance report on 7 December 2007 and copies are available in the House Library (Cm 7279). The autumn performance report assesses progress against my Department's Spending Review 2004 public service agreement (PSA) targets, including our efficiency target and any PSA targets outstanding from earlier Spending Reviews. The 2007 comprehensive spending review announced new PSAs for my Department to lead on, details of which are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pbr_csr/psa/pbr_csr07_psaindex.cfm

Departmental Standards

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information is collected against the performance management indicators published by the Citizen and Business Contact Centre.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 11 December 2007
	 The Department's Public Communications Unit, which responds to public inquiries made by phone, letter and email, has submitted a response to the dry run Citizen and Business Contact Centre Council performance report for July-September 2007. The response is based on those indicators which are relevant to the contact services the Department provides.

National Identity Register

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to make use of data on the National Identity Register when it is established; and what the estimated annual cost to his Department of that use is.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has no current plans to make use of data on the National Identity Register when it is established.

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many permanent exclusions in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools there were in each of the last three years, broken down by school term.

Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of permanent exclusions broken down by school term is not available. Information is collected retrospectively via school census (SC) returns. Prior to 2005/06, school census returns were made on an annual basis. Since 2005/06, data for secondary schools have been collected termly, primary schools began making termly returns in 2006/07. As this is a new collection, data on numbers of permanent exclusions are subject to checking by local authorities. This is done on an annual basis; data broken down by school term are therefore not yet available
	The readily available information on the number of permanent exclusions is given in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2) , number of permanent exclusions by type of school, England, 1997/98 to 2005/06 
			   1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01( 3)  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			  Primary schools  
			 Number of permanent exclusions 1,540 1,370 1,230 1,440 1,450 1,300 1,270 1,090 970 
			 Percentage of permanent exclusions(4) 13 13 15 16 15 14 13 12 11 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.02 
			   
			  Secondary schools  
			 Number of permanent exclusions 10,190 8,640 6,710 7,310 7,740 7,690 8,320 8,070 7,990 
			 Percentage of permanent exclusions(4) 83 83 81 80 81 83 84 85 87 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 0.33 0.28 0.21 0.23 0.24 0.23 0.25 0.24 0.24 
			  Special schools  
			 Number of permanent exclusions 570 440 380 390 340 300 300 280 210 
			 Percentage of permanent exclusions(4) 5 4 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 0.58 0.45 0.40 0.41 0.36 032 0.33 0.31 0.23 
			   
			  All schools  
			 Number of permanent exclusions 12,300 10,440 8,320 9,140 9,540 9,290 9,880 9,440 9,170 
			 Percentage of permanent exclusions(4) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Percentage of school population(5) 0.16 0.14 0.11 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools. (3) Permanent exclusions for 2000/01 are estimated as a number of local authorities have not confirmed the data for their schools. (4) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the total number. (5) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils in special schools) in January each year.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source. School Census.

Pupil Exclusions: Appeals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what rights a parent has to appeal against permanent exclusion from  (a) a maintained school and  (b) an academy; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: All permanent exclusions from a maintained school or an academy must be reviewed by the governing body. Parents have the right to make representations, in person or in writing, to the governing body's review meeting.
	Where a maintained school's governing body upholds the decision to permanently exclude, the parent may appeal to an independent exclusion appeal panel. Academies, by virtue of the funding agreement, are required to have arrangements consistent with those for maintained schools: this requires them to make arrangements for an independent panel to consider parents' appeals against permanent exclusion.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  in how many schools more than  (a) 20 per cent.,  (b) 30 per cent.,  (c) 40 per cent.,  (d) 50 per cent.,  (e) 60 per cent.,  (f) 70 per cent.,  (g) 80 per cent., and  (h) 90 per cent. of pupils took an unauthorised absence in the last school year for which figures are available, broken down by (i) region and (ii) local education authority;
	(2)  how many pupils recorded at least  (a) one,  (b) 10 and  (c) 40 unauthorised absences in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) region and (ii) local education authority.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	School level absence rates have previously been published as part of the Achievement and Attainments tables. These can be found at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average spending per secondary school pupil in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) England was in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Secondary( 1)  school based expenditure( 2)  per pupil( 3) :1997-98 to 2006-07( 4,5,6) 
			   Staffordshire  England 
			 1997-98 2,110 2,360 
			 1998-99 2,200 2,450 
			
			 1999-2000(4,6) 2,400 2,610 
			 2000-01 2,620 2,830 
			 2001-02 2,900 3,150 
			
			 2002-03(4,5) 2,850 3,230 
			 2003-04 3,120 3,550 
			 2004-05 3,400 3,800 
			 2005-06 3,700 4,070 
			 2006-07(7) 3,950 4,320 | 
			 (1) Figures for secondary schools include all expenditure incurred directly by local authority maintained secondary schools. This also includes any expenditure on 6th form pupils attending maintained secondary schools.  (2) School-based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.  (3) Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending maintained secondary schools and are drawn from the DCSF Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.  (4) 1999-2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the DCLG (formerly ODPM) to the Section 52 form from the DCSF. 2002-03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) to schools and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources is shown by the blank rows.  (5) The calculation for 2002-03 onwards is broadly similar to the calculation in previous years. However, 2001-02 and earlier years includes all premature retirement compensation (PRC) and Crombie payments, mandatory PRC payments and other indirect employee expenses. In 2001-02 this accounted for approximately £70 per pupil of the England total. From 2002-03 onwards only the schools element of these categories is included and this accounted for approximately £50 per pupil of the 2002-03 England total. Also, for some LAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the LA part of the form from 2002-03, though this is not quantifiable from existing sources.  (6) The 1999-2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance.  (7) Figures are as reported by local authorities as at 7 December 2007 and are rounded to the nearest 10. 2006-07 data is subject to change by the local authority.   Note:  Cash terms figures are provided here.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much per pupil will be received in each local authority area in England for the 2008-09 school year.

Jim Knight: The guaranteed per pupil unit of funding for 2008-09 for all local authorities are provided in the following table. This covers all funded pupils aged 3-15.
	
		
			  Local authority  2008-09 guaranteed per pupil unit of funding (£) 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,563 
			 Barnet 4,559 
			 Barnsley 3,848 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3,891 
			 Bedfordshire 3,817 
			 Bexley 4,151 
			 Birmingham 4,448 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4,254 
			 Blackpool 3,982 
			 Bolton 3,978 
			 Bournemouth 3,825 
			 Bracknell Forest 4,017 
			 Bradford 4,107 
			 Brent 4,894 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,103 
			 Bristol, City of 4,366 
			 Bromley 3,966 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,899 
			 Bury 3,926 
			 Calderdale 3,912 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,787 
			 Camden 6,161 
			 Cheshire 3,880 
			 City of London 7,362 
			 Cornwall 3,742 
			 Coventry 4,110 
			 Croydon 4,267 
			 Cumbria 3,831 
			 Darlington 3,944 
			 Derby 3,978 
			 Derbyshire 3,825 
			 Devon 3,707 
			 Doncaster 3,941 
			 Dorset 3,799 
			 Dudley 3,949 
			 Durham 3,982 
			 Baling 4,832 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,715 
			 East Sussex 3,997 
			 Enfield 4,437 
			 Essex 3,924 
			 Gateshead 3,986 
			 Gloucestershire 3,744 
			 Greenwich 5,361 
			 Hackney 6,170 
			 Halton 4,226 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5,635 
			 Hampshire 3,824 
			 Haringey 4,987 
			 Harrow 4,507 
			 Hartlepool 4,029 
			 Havering 4,137 
			 Herefordshire 3,687 
			 Hertfordshire 3,896 
			 Hillingdon 4,361 
			 Hounslow 4,651 
			 Isle of Wight 4,051 
			 Islington 5,812 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5,757 
			 Kent 3,938 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 4,168 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,256 
			 Kirklees 3,947 
			 Knowsley 4,236 
			 Lambeth 5,848 
			 Lancashire 3,927 
			 Leeds 3,926 
			 Leicester 4,151 
			 Leicestershire 3,596 
			 Lewisham 5,556 
			 Lincolnshire 3,795 
			 Liverpool 4,320 
			 Luton 4,251 
			 Manchester 4,571 
			 Medway 4,034 
			 Merton 4,452 
			 Middlesbrough 4,182 
			 Milton Keynes 4,080 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,096 
			 Newham 5,071 
			 Norfolk 3,807 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,134 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,822 
			 North Somerset 3,757 
			 North Tyneside 3,836 
			 North Yorkshire 3,854 
			 Northamptonshire 3,785 
			 Northumberland 3,711 
			 Nottingham 4,500 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,842 
			 Oldham 4,118 
			 Oxfordshire 3,870 
			 Peterborough 4,098 
			 Plymouth 3,889 
			 Poole 3,724 
			 Portsmouth 4,061 
			 Reading 4,260 
			 Redbridge 4,214 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,990 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,311 
			 Rochdale 4,171 
			 Rotherham 4,045 
			 Rutland 3,898 
			 Salford 4,309 
			 Sandwell 4,214 
			 Sefton 3,917 
			 Sheffield 3,947 
			 Shropshire 3,715 
			 Slough 4,404 
			 Solihull 3,750 
			 Somerset 3,752 
			 South Gloucestershire 3,647 
			 South Tyneside 4,092 
			 Southampton 4,117 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,026 
			 Southwark 5,756 
			 St. Helens 3,977 
			 Staffordshire 3,776 
			 Stockport 3,902 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3,960 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4,070 
			 Suffolk 3,763 
			 Sunderland 3,990 
			 Surrey 3,976 
			 Sutton 4,253 
			 Swindon 3,775 
			 Tameside 3,983 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,911 
			 Thurrock 4,141 
			 Torbay 3,922 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,289 
			 Trafford 3,852 
			 Wakefield 3,881 
			 Walsall 4,023 
			 Waltham Forest 4,584 
			 Wandsworth 5,146 
			 Warrington 3,819 
			 Warwickshire 3,789 
			 West Berkshire 3,984 
			 West Sussex 3,877 
			 Westminster 5,439 
			 Wigan 3,948 
			 Wiltshire 3,713 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,040 
			 Wirral 3,937 
			 Wokingham 3,844 
			 Wolverhampton 4,145 
			 Worcestershire 3,729 
			 York 3,801 
			  Notes:  1. This covers funding through the dedicated schools grants (DSG).  2. This figure does not represent the totality of "education" funding allocated in that year. There are other grants that support the schools budget whose allocations have not yet been finalised—these are not included in the provided DSG figure.  3. Figures are in cash terms.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much per capita  (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire council,  (b) Hull city council,  (c) North Lincolnshire council,  (d) North East Lincolnshire council and  (e) local authorities in England will receive in central government funding in 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The revenue per pupil figures shown in the following table are taken from the dedicated schools grant (DSG) which was introduced in April 2006 and other grants. The figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19.
	
		
			  Local authority  DSG plus grants 2007-08  (£) 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,104 
			 Kingston Upon Hull 4,705 
			 North Lincolnshire 4,279 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,661 
			   
			 England average 4,525 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the dedicated schools grant, school standards grant, school standards grant (personalisation) and standards fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LEA level. 2. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 3. Figures are in cash terms.

Religion: Education

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which religious education (RE) local syllabuses include the study of the book Islam: Beliefs and Teachings by Gulam Sarwar; and which schools use the book in teaching RE.

Jim Knight: Locally agreed syllabuses do not contain references to specific texts, nor do the Government specify which texts should be used in schools. In 2004 we published a non-statutory framework for religious education, on which we encourage Agreed Syllabus Conferences to base their syllabuses. The framework places inclusion, tolerance, diversity and interfaith dialogue at the heart of children's learning. These principles are shared both by the Department and faith communities. It is up to schools and teachers to use their professional judgment as to how best to deliver religious education within the locally agreed syllabus and in the spirit of the framework.

Schools: Admissions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the impact of the Schools Admission Code 2007 on families with twins, triplets or higher multiples; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Local authorities and admission authorities must act in accordance with the school admissions code. In relation to siblings at primary schools, it says that admission authorities should make sure in their oversubscription criteria that, as far as possible, siblings (including twins, triplets or children from other multiple births) can attend the same primary school, as long as they comply with the infant class size regulations. The code goes on to say that children at secondary school age are usually more independent, but does provide guidance for admission authorities on how to help meet parents' wishes where they wish siblings to continue to attend the same school.
	The code makes schools' admission arrangements fairer and more transparent for parents. The code applies to admissions to schools from September 2008. We are therefore planning to look at what impact the code has had from 2008.

Schools: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he decided the school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11; what consideration he gave to small pockets of deprivation in determining the settlement; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: On 12 November 2007, I announced to Parliament the three-year school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11. My statement can be found on the teachernet website at:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12219.
	A new deprivation indicator is being used to fund the pockets of deprivation ministerial priority included in the 2008-11 dedicated schools grant allocations. Further information on the new indicator and the local authority allocations for pockets of deprivation is on teachernet at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/dsg200811/

Science: GCE A-Level

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils in Suffolk have studied  (a) chemistry,  (b) biology and  (c) physics A-Level in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The number of GCE A level entries by 16 to 18-year-olds in chemistry, biology and physics in Suffolk are provided in the following table. These numbers, as a proportion of all GCE A level entries in Suffolk, are also provided.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007( 1) 
			  Number of entries  
			 Biology 609 557 598 606 683 
			 Chemistry 428 439 444 483 470 
			 Physics 416 378 391 361 402 
			   
			  Proportion of all entries (percentage)  
			 Biology 7.2 6.5 6.8 6.6 7.2 
			 Chemistry 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.3 5.0 
			 Physics 4.9 4.4 4.5 3.9 4.3 
			 (1) Figures for 2007 are provisional and subject to change.

Special Educational Needs: Expenditure

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on special educational needs in each English local education authority in each year since 2000.

Jim Knight: The information is in the following tables:
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs by local authorities in England since 2000-01 
			  £ 
			   Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs( 1, 2) 
			  Local authority name  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 England 2,763,226,000 2,908,380,000 3,038,661,000 3,466,180,000 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 9,383,000 6,293,000 11,935,000 12,812,000 
			 Barnet 26,197,000 26,090,000 26,784,000 31,236,000 
			 Barnsley 9,347,000 9,023,000 11,632,000 13,108,000 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 8,304,000 8,843,000 7,846,000 8,522,000 
			 Bedfordshire 19,250,000 21,011,000 18,838,000 24,669,000 
			 Bexley 14,451,000 16,754,000 17,731,000 21,465,000 
			 Birmingham 92,031,000 95,614,000 99,409,000 113,255,000 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 13,775,000 13,667,000 14,392,000 16,207,000 
			 Blackpool 10,260,000 10,533,000 9,985,000 12,895,000 
			 Bolton 14,605,000 14,943,000 15,900,000 17,216,000 
			 Bournemouth 8,264,000 8,702,000 9,590,000 10,517,000 
			 Bracknell Forest 5,258,000 5,859,000 5,812,000 7,661,000 
			 Bradford 34,027,000 35,997,000 23,914,000 26,423,000 
			 Brent 15,181,000 16,626,000 17,099,000 18,891,000 
			 Brighton and Hove 15,963,000 16,391,000 17,212,000 18,804,000 
			 Bromley 16,356,000 16,987,000 16,549,000 23,357,000 
			 Buckinghamshire 24,469,000 27,531,000 29,588,000 36,621,000 
			 Bury 9,455,000 9,938,000 11,099,000 12,551,000 
			 Calderdale 10,001,000 11,852,000 9,503,000 13,950,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 31,017,000 33,352,000 36,290,000 44,958,000 
			 Camden 9,490,000 14,215,000 13,056,000 15,388,000 
			 Cheshire 31,671,000 33,787,000 36,732,000 43,613,000 
			 City of Bristol 22,602,000 28,522,000 28,361,000 30,917,000 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 16,344,000 17,231,000 17,033,000 19,679,000 
			 City of London 202,000 242,000 336,000 401,000 
			 Cornwall 20,772,000 24,127,000 24,489,000 28,480,000 
			 Coventry 16,357,000 18,377,000 19,805,000 22,373,000 
			 Croydon 20,241,000 22,008,000 21,252,000 24,969,000 
			 Cumbria 22,777,000 23,761,000 29,097,000 28,807,000 
			 Darlington 4,739,000 4,998,000 5,122,000 6,133,000 
			 Derby 13,368,000 14,747,000 15,314,000 18,185,000 
			 Derbyshire 46,256,000 49,566,000 51,128,000 57,146,000 
			 Devon 35,733,000 37,437,000 38,267,000 43,144,000 
			 Doncaster 14,078,000 12,936,000 14,984,000 16,562,000 
			 Dorset 20,907,000 23,317,000 26,055,000 29,866,000 
			 Dudley 15,583,000 17,018,000 17,670,000 19,074,000 
			 Durham 25,485,000 25,564,000 26,424,000 29,875,000 
			 Ealing 19,895,000 20,347,000 22,588,000 23,075,000 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 14,535,000 15,019,000 16,109,000 19,555,000 
			 East Sussex 29,293,000 32,176,000 32,784,000 37,086,000 
			 Enfield 19,814,000 20,172,000 19,667,000 23,536,000 
			 Essex 62,904,000 68,285,000 69,328,000 75,876,000 
			 Gateshead 10,480,000 9,871,000 11,292,000 10,722,000 
			 Gloucestershire 26,751,000 27,878,000 30,971,000 33,530,000 
			 Greenwich 20,336,000 19,883,000 21,328,000 23,425,000 
			 Hackney 17,296,000 18,172,000 18,690,000 20,443,000 
			 Halton 9,276,000 9,500,000 9,753,000 10,931,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8,256,000 8,045,000 9,280,000 10,297,000 
			 Hampshire 57,877,000 61,087,000 64,668,000 72,771,000 
			 Haringey 14,782,000 16,974,000 20,411,000 21,628,000 
			 Harrow 14,763,000 13,181,000 12,030,000 14,794,000 
			 Hartlepool 7,002,000 7,248,000 7,505,000 7,889,000 
			 Havering 9,333,000 9,595,000 9,607,000 10,842,000 
			 Herefordshire 9,464,000 9,736,000 10,433,000 12,403,000 
			 Hertfordshire 54,162,000 56,668,000 55,427,000 63,654,000 
			 Hillingdon 15,789,000 18,143,000 19,137,000 21,263,000 
			 Hounslow 14,772,000 16,092,000 16,395,000 20,330,000 
			 Isle of Wight 8,091,000 8,207,000 8,425,000 9,394,000 
			 Isles of Scilly 48,000 37,000 57,000 58,000 
			 Islington 11,796,000 10,973,000 12,466,000 15,930,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 7,636,000 7,123,000 5,460,000 6,869,000 
			 Kent 84,532,000 91,413,000 84,874,000 117,265,000 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7,764,000 9,025,000 10,363,000 10,671,000 
			 Kirklees 16,803,000 18,932,000 20,150,000 23,196,000 
			 Knowsley 10,137,000 10,802,000 12,973,000 13,548,000 
			 Lambeth 20,672,000 21,775,000 20,900,000 23,896,000 
			 Lancashire 79,766,000 82,826,000 86,666,000 99,347,000 
			 Leeds 37,167,000 40,409,000 42,897,000 46,444,000 
			 Leicester 20,227,000 18,264,000 20,411,000 21,414,000 
			 Leicestershire 29,555,000 31,347,000 32,413,000 39,883,000 
			 Lewisham 15,996,000 17,092,000 17,190,000 27,098,000 
			 Lincolnshire 29,713,000 30,834,000 33,762,000 37,824,000 
			 Liverpool 25,981,000 26,125,000 28,671,000 26,140,000 
			 Luton 9,136,000 9,321,000 14,765,000 15,673,000 
			 Manchester 24,053,000 26,238,000 28,448,000 35,869,000 
			 Medway 17,821,000 18,581,000 18,325,000 22,817,000 
			 Merton 11,422,000 12,169,000 12,696,000 13,467,000 
			 Middlesbrough 8,272,000 8,790,000 9,034,000 10,111,000 
			 Milton Keynes 14,383,000 14,386,000 17,972,000 18,928,000 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 14,605,000 9,758,000 14,476,000 16,418,000 
			 Newham 19,623,000 21,807,000 24,554,000 28,901,000 
			 Norfolk 34,824,000 37,782,000 38,304,000 42,233,000 
			 North East Lincolnshire 10,181,000 10,472,000 8,609,000 11,888,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 9,041,000 9,848,000 11,004,000 12,678,000 
			 North Somerset 9,361,000 9,174,000 9,064,000 11,289,000 
			 North Tyneside 8,953,000 8,987,000 10,599,000 11,905,000 
			 North Yorkshire 29,813,000 31,360,000 35,864,000 31,827,000 
			 Northamptonshire 30,405,000 31,926,000 34,506,000 36,174,000 
			 Northumberland 26,717,000 27,279,000 29,158,000 32,934,000 
			 Nottingham City 14,472,000 14,414,000 8,780,000 16,444,000 
			 Nottinghamshire 26,889,000 29,117,000 33,316,000 34,350,000 
			 Oldham 12,723,000 13,335,000 13,056,000 14,871,000 
			 Oxfordshire 25,847,000 28,246,000 27,346,000 31,417,000 
			 Peterborough 12,325,000 13,410,000 14,787,000 16,936,000 
			 Plymouth 15,867,000 16,758,000 17,414,000 15,686,000 
			 Poole 6,668,000 6,901,000 7,613,000 5,411,000 
			 Portsmouth 10,331,000 11,386,000 11,634,000 13,134,000 
			 Reading 7,331,000 7,371,000 8,259,000 6,780,000 
			 Redbridge 12,670,000 13,658,000 14,655,000 16,587,000 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 8,779,000 7,953,000 6,781,000 9,432,000 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6,228,000 8,651,000 7,935,000 10,085,000 
			 Rochdale 11,384,000 11,841,000 13,400,000 14,687,000 
			 Rotherham 11,181,000 11,771,000 18,004,000 19,876,000 
			 Rutland 1,418,000 1,548,000 1,486,000 1,714,000 
			 Salford 15,807,000 16,268,000 15,763,000 18,548,000 
			 Sandwell 19,169,000 19,293,000 18,567,000 18,710,000 
			 Sefton 15,161,000 14,700,000 15,122,000 16,495,000 
			 Sheffield 21,201,000 22,148,000 20,328,000 27,267,000 
			 Shropshire 10,724,000 11,716,000 12,581,000 15,244,000 
			 Slough 7,722,000 8,076,000 8,453,000 10,715,000 
			 Solihull 10,561,000 10,576,000 11,125,000 12,335,000 
			 Somerset 21,932,000 22,268,000 26,714,000 29,068,000 
			 South Gloucestershire 12,108,000 12,745,000 12,750,000 9,698,000 
			 South Tyneside 15,465,000 16,413,000 17,211,000 10,163,000 
			 Southampton 10,526,000 11,846,000 11,973,000 13,003,000 
			 Southend 8,867,000 10,222,000 10,653,000 13,096,000 
			 Southwark 20,278,000 21,253,000 20,208,000 23,129,000 
			 St. Helens 8,987,000 9,277,000 9,477,000 11,612,000 
			 Staffordshire 30,120,000 38,600,000 43,505,000 52,707,000 
			 Stockport 12,546,000 14,109,000 13,252,000 14,181,000 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 11,150,000 12,562,000 12,659,000 15,175,000 
			 Stoke on Trent 9,956,000 10,751,000 11,517,000 13,819,000 
			 Suffolk 22,845,000 23,452,000 29,012,000 32,374,000 
			 Sunderland 12,415,000 10,962,000 11,856,000 15,693,000 
			 Surrey 61,123,000 62,218,000 69,738,000 82,021,000 
			 Sutton 11,443,000 12,880,000 15,259,000 16,863,000 
			 Swindon 11,380,000 12,546,000 12,757,000 12,519,000 
			 Tameside 11,394,000 11,734,000 10,584,000 12,381,000 
			 Telford and Wrekin 10,505,000 11,575,000 10,765,000 12,565,000 
			 Thurrock 7,425,000 7,788,000 8,774,000 9,979,000 
			 Torbay 6,355,000 6,938,000 6,295,000 7,723,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 24,829,000 24,946,000 22,926,000 27,202,000 
			 Trafford 10,841,000 11,167,000 12,073,000 14,494,000 
			 Wakefield 17,260,000 15,580,000 15,103,000 18,328,000 
			 Walsall 16,697,000 17,869,000 18,671,000 24,714,000 
			 Waltham Forest 14,395,000 15,119,000 18,181,000 17,295,000 
			 Wandsworth 17,511,000 18,312,000 18,815,000 19,980,000 
			 Warrington 9,340,000 9,803,000 10,150,000 11,357,000 
			 Warwickshire 31,216,000 30,659,000 32,508,000 37,871,000 
			 West Berkshire 6,647,000 7,420,000 7,664,000 9,260,000 
			 West Sussex 44,923,000 45,567,000 50,632,000 54,732,000 
			 Westminster 8,314,000 8,814,000 9,760,000 11,901,000 
			 Wigan 19,757,000 17,858,000 18,177,000 20,046,000 
			 Wiltshire 17,175,000 18,351,000 20,829,000 23,839,000 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,988,000 5,881,000 6,284,000 7,904,000 
			 Wirral 19,936,000 21,501,000 21,377,000 24,853,000 
			 Wokingham 6,148,000 6,893,000 6,515,000 8,143,000 
			 Wolverhampton 15,205,000 15,287,000 16,178,000 18,295,000 
			 Worcestershire 22,841,000 23,550,000 22,755,000 25,648,000 
			 York 8,450,000 9,536,000 10,015,000 9,957,000 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			   Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs( 1, 2) 
			  Local authority name  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 3) 
			 England 3,774,757,000 4,120,549,000 4,481,245,000 4,868,571,000 
			  
			 Barking and Dagenham 15,361,000 17,273,000 10,185,000 20,173,000 
			 Barnet 33,519,000 35,919,000 39,566,000 42,190,000 
			 Barnsley 13,937,000 14,700,000 15,964,000 17,231,000 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 8,743,000 9,639,000 10,017,000 10,936,000 
			 Bedfordshire 26,198,000 27,455,000 31,224,000 32,013,000 
			 Bexley 21,511,000 23,460,000 25,672,000 26,174,000 
			 Birmingham 124,938,000 131,932,000 148,725,000 167,503,000 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 17,320,000 19,210,000 20,652,000 23,552,000 
			 Blackpool 12,827,000 13,556,000 14,241,000 15,020,000 
			 Bolton 18,983,000 19,429,000 21,987,000 22,747,000 
			 Bournemouth 10,705,000 11,179,000 14,080,000 14,964,000 
			 Bracknell Forest 8,010,000 8,756,000 9,824,000 11,317,000 
			 Bradford 36,831,000 43,949,000 49,586,000 53,123,000 
			 Brent 23,316,000 25,070,000 26,652,000 31,250,000 
			 Brighton and Hove 20,699,000 21,963,000 23,408,000 25,187,000 
			 Bromley 22,286,000 27,542,000 30,201,000 31,631,000 
			 Buckinghamshire 41,540,000 46,063,000 57,542,000 62,612,000 
			 Bury 13,375,000 15,915,000 16,940,000 17,891,000 
			 Calderdale 14,336,000 15,728,000 17,758,000 20,634,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 42,980,000 45,120,000 47,217,000 48,756,000 
			 Camden 16,790,000 19,673,000 19,867,000 24,670,000 
			 Cheshire 47,962,000 58,423,000 65,851,000 69,129,000 
			 City of Bristol 30,758,000 32,844,000 35,097,000 37,908,000 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 21,643,000 22,823,000 23,838,000 25,965,000 
			 City of London 432,000 398,000 377,000 331,000 
			 Cornwall 29,051,000 29,923,000 34,862,000 40,106,000 
			 Coventry 24,564,000 25,827,000 27,627,000 37,654,000 
			 Croydon 25,453,000 29,434,000 31,037,000 38,185,000 
			 Cumbria 29,383,000 29,903,000 32,848,000 35,418,000 
			 Darlington 6,699,000 7,490,000 7,890,000 8,514,000 
			 Derby 22,029,000 24,248,000 27,015,000 28,907,000 
			 Derbyshire 61,514,000 66,796,000 72,772,000 80,430,000 
			 Devon 44,722,000 50,157,000 55,916,000 62,251,000 
			 Doncaster 18,082,000 18,491,000 19,167,000 19,958,000 
			 Dorset 31,959,000 33,357,000 35,502,000 35,838,000 
			 Dudley 19,641,000 21,624,000 22,788,000 24,873,000 
			 Durham 30,293,000 30,273,000 36,640,000 38,686,000 
			 Ealing 24,729,000 25,931,000 29,365,000 33,204,000 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 19,095,000 20,982,000 23,447,000 25,036,000 
			 East Sussex 41,167,000 43,380,000 46,760,000 49,826,000 
			 Enfield 26,770,000 27,851,000 28,435,000 31,522,000 
			 Essex 81,359,000 87,946,000 96,982,000 103,046,000 
			 Gateshead 12,226,000 14,414,000 16,503,000 19,278,000 
			 Gloucestershire 36,562,000 39,161,000 42,524,000 44,614,000 
			 Greenwich 26,412,000 27,615,000 27,874,000 28,511,000 
			 Hackney 23,688,000 35,951,000 28,174,000 27,953,000 
			 Halton 11,073,000 11,452,000 11,664,000 12,178,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 12,558,000 13,901,000 12,063,000 15,145,000 
			 Hampshire 78,183,000 81,129,000 84,592,000 91,351,000 
			 Haringey 26,314,000 27,455,000 29,883,000 29,957,000 
			 Harrow 18,630,000 20,632,000 20,509,000 26,638,000 
			 Hartlepool 8,252,000 8,923,000 9,444,000 10,146,000 
			 Havering 11,452,000 12,489,000 14,174,000 15,787,000 
			 Herefordshire 13,027,000 13,781,000 14,840,000 16,205,000 
			 Hertfordshire 71,970,000 75,794,000 79,344,000 87,928,000 
			 Hillingdon 23,350,000 23,908,000 25,700,000 26,436,000 
			 Hounslow 21,412,000 23,867,000 27,061,000 27,465,000 
			 Isle of Wight 9,933,000 10,429,000 10,356,000 11,087,000 
			 Isles of Scilly 53,000 221,000 211,000 129,000 
			 Islington 18,090,000 19,091,000 20,715,000 22,011,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 7,434,000 8,093,000 8,938,000 9,678,000 
			 Kent 100,270,000 133,843,000 128,769,000 143,573,000 
			 Kingston upon Thames 12,073,000 13,095,000 13,900,000 15,771,000 
			 Kirklees 25,335,000 25,619,000 26,683,000 27,406,000 
			 Knowsley 13,715,000 14,292,000 14,481,000 16,088,000 
			 Lambeth 26,150,000 27,537,000 29,986,000 33,078,000 
			 Lancashire 106,320,000 109,113,000 118,120,000 128,721,000 
			 Leeds 50,882,000 53,623,000 55,013,000 57,528,000 
			 Leicester 22,926,000 29,747,000 32,235,000 36,411,000 
			 Leicestershire 43,789,000 45,882,000 49,728,000 52,800,000 
			 Lewisham 27,139,000 27,051,000 31,277,000 33,527,000 
			 Lincolnshire 26,340,000 48,686,000 52,841,000 56,252,000 
			 Liverpool 25,510,000 29,166,000 31,394,000 34,413,000 
			 Luton 17,867,000 17,431,000 21,541,000 23,164,000 
			 Manchester 33,912,000 38,646,000 54,584,000 58,501,000 
			 Medway 24,297,000 24,726,000 26,626,000 28,617,000 
			 Merton 14,001,000 16,888,000 19,476,000 21,320,000 
			 Middlesbrough 11,311,000 13,092,000 17,145,000 17,010,000 
			 Milton Keynes 21,131,000 22,269,000 24,772,000 28,150,000 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 18,893,000 19,778,000 21,666,000 23,387,000 
			 Newham 31,592,000 37,180,000 39,891,000 42,125,000 
			 Norfolk 44,946,000 48,604,000 51,472,000 60,953,000 
			 North East Lincolnshire 12,432,000 13,955,000 17,938,000 17,845,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 13,471,000 14,645,000 11,523,000 13,384,000 
			 North Somerset 12,721,000 13,564,000 14,737,000 16,615,000 
			 North Tyneside 15,837,000 16,151,000 17,038,000 19,233,000 
			 North Yorkshire 35,502,000 44,326,000 47,650,000 54,554,000 
			 Northamptonshire 41,370,000 44,064,000 48,735,000 50,889,000 
			 Northumberland 36,021,000 38,168,000 42,193,000 27,250,000 
			 Nottingham City 18,301,000 20,320,000 21,956,000 23,055,000 
			 Nottinghamshire 39,028,000 32,012,000 36,964,000 37,506,000 
			 Oldham 15,819,000 17,680,000 17,486,000 20,261,000 
			 Oxfordshire 39,689,000 42,763,000 45,838,000 47,755,000 
			 Peterborough 18,620,000 20,337,000 23,188,000 24,838,000 
			 Plymouth 17,456,000 18,088,000 18,386,000 26,421,000 
			 Poole 9,086,000 9,383,000 10,368,000 11,294,000 
			 Portsmouth 13,464,000 13,766,000 14,776,000 15,414,000 
			 Reading 10,324,000 12,313,000 13,390,000 14,805,000 
			 Redbridge 19,880,000 20,907,000 24,039,000 26,216,000 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 10,360,000 10,817,000 10,454,000 13,562,000 
			 Richmond upon Thames 11,679,000 12,170,000 13,922,000 15,440,000 
			 Rochdale 15,671,000 17,076,000 18,455,000 19,294,000 
			 Rotherham 21,618,000 23,492,000 23,823,000 24,248,000 
			 Rutland 1,933,000 2,395,000 2,268,000 2,961,000 
			 Salford 20,283,000 30,012,000 24,211,000 24,178,000 
			 Sandwell 28,862,000 31,827,000 33,774,000 35,879,000 
			 Sefton 17,523,000 18,539,000 20,391,000 20,786,000 
			 Sheffield 30,944,000 35,692,000 39,836,000 42,662,000 
			 Shropshire 16,280,000 17,467,000 17,638,000 18,395,000 
			 Slough 12,419,000 13,993,000 14,381,000 16,633,000 
			 Solihull 13,814,000 14,757,000 18,464,000 19,522,000 
			 Somerset 30,023,000 33,934,000 37,238,000 40,845,000 
			 South Gloucestershire 16,307,000 18,338,000 19,356,000 21,567,000 
			 South Tyneside 11,886,000 12,850,000 24,799,000 25,234,000 
			 Southampton 14,289,000 14,693,000 15,464,000 16,214,000 
			 Southend 15,107,000 15,810,000 19,076,000 21,469,000 
			 Southwark 26,440,000 28,224,000 28,555,000 32,171,000 
			 St. Helens 12,156,000 12,037,000 13,067,000 13,775,000 
			 Staffordshire 59,548,000 62,075,000 63,829,000 59,045,000 
			 Stockport 17,038,000 20,558,000 20,963,000 20,941,000 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 16,172,000 17,330,000 18,584,000 20,657,000 
			 Stoke on Trent 17,297,000 19,099,000 16,310,000 23,432,000 
			 Suffolk 41,529,000 43,991,000 50,159,000 57,750,000 
			 Sunderland 20,825,000 21,171,000 19,993,000 22,448,000 
			 Surrey 93,017,000 100,952,000 106,330,000 110,753,000 
			 Sutton 18,707,000 20,432,000 22,261,000 25,118,000 
			 Swindon 16,031,000 12,466,000 17,980,000 18,705,000 
			 Tameside 13,271,000 14,151,000 14,978,000 17,793,000 
			 Telford and Wrekin 12,509,000 13,614,000 14,437,000 15,493,000 
			 Thurrock 11,076,000 10,574,000 11,475,000 13,926,000 
			 Torbay 8,358,000 8,459,000 9,472,000 9,803,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 29,593,000 33,297,000 37,003,000 41,374,000 
			 Trafford 15,917,000 17,799,000 18,355,000 19,640,000 
			 Wakefield 18,826,000 22,217,000 25,110,000 26,151,000 
			 Walsall 25,904,000 25,659,000 30,300,000 31,562,000 
			 Waltham Forest 19,097,000 22,321,000 26,658,000 29,857,000 
			 Wandsworth 25,704,000 27,833,000 26,843,000 33,551,000 
			 Warrington 12,315,000 13,275,000 15,056,000 16,477,000 
			 Warwickshire 41,677,000 44,692,000 47,384,000 50,882,000 
			 West Berkshire 10,499,000 11,758,000 13,057,000 15,740,000 
			 West Sussex 58,883,000 51,014,000 76,617,000 82,191,000 
			 Westminster 12,750,000 17,506,000 18,241,000 23,203,000 
			 Wigan 21,306,000 21,391,000 24,929,000 26,272,000 
			 Wiltshire 25,703,000 28,149,000 30,429,000 32,696,000 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 9,269,000 10,503,000 11,987,000 13,389,000 
			 Wirral 25,931,000 27,849,000 31,093,000 32,642,000 
			 Wokingham 9,460,000 11,927,000 11,336,000 12,113,000 
			 Wolverhampton 19,566,000 21,135,000 22,164,000 24,712,000 
			 Worcestershire 28,741,000 32,292,000 41,723,000 46,703,000 
			 York 11,091,000 12,288,000 13,122,000 13,729,000 
			 (1) Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter-authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools. (2) The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against "notional SEN" are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN and, from 2004-05 onwards, "notional SEN" delegated to nursery schools was reported on Section 52 for the first time (nursery schools "notional SEN" accounts for £7.8 million, £9.5 million, £10.4 million and £11.3 million of the respective 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 England totals). In 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 local authorities in England also budgeted £499.6 million, £528.5 million and £554.9 million for SEN transport expenditure but this is not included in the table as figures are not available prior to 2005-06. (3) 2007-08 data are subject to change by the local authority.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding. 2. The data are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DCSF (formally the DfES). 3. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 7 December 2007.

Sports: Females

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which sport has the highest rate of participation for females in schools in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) England.

Kevin Brennan: These data have not been collected centrally. The annual School Sport Survey collects data relating to PE and School Sport at a school, rather than pupil level. The 2006-07 survey found that dance was the most widely offered activity in single-sex girls' schools. No such maintained schools exist in Staffordshire.

Teachers: Public Opinion

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department conducted  (a) focus groups and  (b) other qualitative or quantitative opinion research of teachers.

Jim Knight: The Department often commissions research which involves both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Qualitative research may involve collecting data from the school work force using discussion groups, but other methods can be also used such as face to face interviews and lesson observation. Quantitative methods my involve commissioning a survey of teachers or the secondary analysis of existing survey data.
	The choice of an appropriate data collection method is dependent on the research aims and the time and budget available to carry out the research project.

Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the suitability of his Department's call centre automated response systems in meeting the needs of customers; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department's telephone inquiry line does not operate an automated response system. All callers are put through to an available operator. An answer machine is in operation outside the hours of 9 am to 5 pm.

Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what measures are in place to ensure his Department's customer contact centres are helpful to people who need to deal with a variety of queries in one call.

Kevin Brennan: The Department's telephone inquiry line does not operate an automated response system. Customers are put straight through to available operators who are able to deal with a variety of inquiries. Our target is to answer 80 per cent. of the calls without transferring and our performance to date is 88 per cent. Customer satisfaction is monitored by way of an annual survey.

Unemployment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children were living in workless households in each region in each quarter since January 1997, broken down by ethnicity.

Beverley Hughes: It has not proved possible to provide a break-down of the proportion of children of each ethnicity who were living in workless households in each region in each quarter since January 1997. Data from the Labour Force Survey provide very small sample sizes when the data are broken down by both region and ethnicity, leading to figures that may be misleading. Officials are currently investigating ways of overcoming this problem, and I will write to the hon. Member in the near future, if the analysis is feasible.
	Historical data at a national level is however readily available. The proportion of children living in workless households stood at 18.4 per cent. in 1997. Since then the overall trend has been falling; in 2006, the proportion of children living in workless households stood at 15.3 per cent. In 2007 the Labour Force Survey moved from spring to calendar quarters (Q2), consequently the 2007 figure of 16 per cent. is not directly comparable with previous years.
	
		
			  Children living in workless households (Great Britain)( 1) 
			   Percentage 
			 1992 18.7 
			 1993 19.1 
			 1994 19.8 
			 1995 19.3 
			 1996 19.3 
			 1997 18.4 
			 1998 18.5 
			 1999 18.0 
			 2000 16.4 
			 2001 16.1 
			 2002 16.7 
			 2003 16.1 
			 2004 15.9 
			 2005 15.7 
			 2006 15.3 
			 2007 16.0 
		
	
	The break-down by ethnicity at a national level in 2006 is as follows (the last complete calendar year for which these data are available).
	
		
			  Proportion of children living in working age workless households in GB 
			  Ethnic group  Percentage 
			 White 13.8 
			 Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 34.2 
			 Mixed: White and Black African 15.6 
			 Mixed: White and Asian 13.8 
			 Mixed: Other 20.4 
			 Indian 6.8 
			 Pakistani 25.4 
			 Bangladeshi 42.1 
			 Other Asian 15.8 
			 Black Caribbean 34.9 
			 Black African 26.4 
			 Other Black 12.8 
			 Chinese 4.1 
			 Other 39.5 
			 GB 15.5 
			 (1) Percentage of children aged under 16 in a working-age household where no adult works. A working-age household is a household that includes at least one person of working age (a woman aged between 16 and 59 or a man aged between 16 and 64). Workless individuals are those who are either unemployed (International Labour Organisation definition) or economically inactive (that is, not in employment). In line with the 2006 Eurostat directive, the Labour Force Survey has shifted away from the use of seasonal data (spring) and instead refers to second quarter (Q2) figures, in order to assess the progress of the Children in Workless Households target. The Q2 data covers the months April to June whereas the previous spring datasets covered the months March to May. Due to the slight difference in the time periods covered by the new datasets there are marginal differences between the seasonal and calendar data. Accordingly, the Labour Force Survey figures quoted may differ from previous versions.  Note: Figures not adjusted for households with unknown economic activity.  Source:  Labour Force Survey, Spring 2006

Voluntary Schools

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many schools in England secured voluntary aided status for the first time within the last five years;
	(2)  what criteria he uses to assess applications for new voluntary aided schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 13 December 2007
	Since January 2003, 85 new voluntary aided schools have been established. During the same period, 49 maintained schools changed category to become voluntary aided schools.
	Proposals to establish new schools, or change category to become voluntary aided, are decided under local decision-making arrangements. Prior to 25 May this year, decisions were taken by the local School Organisation Committee or schools adjudicator. Under the current arrangements, the local authority is the decision maker in most cases, except for proposals for a new school where the local authority is the proposer or has a role in the trust of a proposed trust school. An appeal to the schools adjudicator can be made in specific cases. Decision makers must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State, which sets out the factors that must be considered when deciding proposals. For proposals to establish a new school this includes: the impact of standards and levels of diversity; the need for school places; the demand for the particular type of education the new school will offer; the contribution to community cohesion and a range of other factors.

Voluntary Schools: Religion

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many voluntary aided schools there are whose trustees are faith groups, broken down by faith.

Jim Knight: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The available information is shown in the table.
	The table shows the religious character of voluntary aided schools. The religious character of the trust is the same as that of the school.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) : number of voluntary aided schools by their religious character—January 2007 England 
			   Maintained primary schools  Maintained secondary schools 
			 No Religious Character 15 40 
			 Church of England 1,956 137 
			 Roman Catholic 1,696 341 
			 Methodist 2 0 
			 Other Christian Faith(2) 28 22 
			 Jewish 28 9 
			 Muslim 4 3 
			 Sikh 1 1 
			 Other 1 1 
			 Total 3,731 554 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes schools of mixed denomination or other Christian beliefs.   Source:  School Census and Edubase

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Deborah Mattinson

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Deborah Mattinson has  (a) a desk,  (b) a telephone,  (c) office facilities and  (d) administrative support provided in the Cabinet Office.

Edward Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) today.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining  (a) the Cabinet Office's and its agencies' corporate identity and  (b) the Office of the Prime Minister's corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of (i) producing and (ii) complying with such guidelines.

Gillian Merron: I have placed in the Library copies of the corporate guidelines for the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector and the Social Exclusion Task Force. There are no corporate identity guidelines for the Office of Prime Minister.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether Government facilities have been provided to  (a) Bob Shrum,  (b) Stan Greenberg and  (c) Deborah Mattinson since 27 June.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1075-76W. I can also confirm that Mr. Stan Greenberg and Ms Deborah Mattinson have not been provided with the use of Government facilities in the Cabinet Office or No. 10 Downing street.

Voluntary Organisations: Community Development

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the progress of implementation of the conclusions of the 2004 voluntary and community sector in service delivery.

Phil Hope: The Third Sector Review report was published on 24 July 2007. It sets out the Government's vision for the next 10 years and how it will invest over £515 million over 2008 to 2011 in supporting an environment for the third sector to thrive.
	It was informed by the largest consultation the Government has held with the sector, including over 90 consultation events, designed to reach the diversity of third sector organisations across the country.
	The investment of £515 million includes developing a sector skills strategy; investing £117 million in youth volunteering through the youth-led charity v, including £75 million for vinvolved, the national youth volunteering programme; and creating a grass root grants programme that will allow front-line community organisations to access funding they need.
	As part of the development of the sector skills strategy, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills announced the extension of the Train to Gain skills programme to volunteers.
	Other key investments include
	£88 million for Capacitybuilders,
	£65 million for Futurebuilders,
	£10 million for community anchors,
	£5 million for a new research centre.

JUSTICE

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent by his Department on international flights since it was established.

David Hanson: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Information in respect of flights taken by officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the anticipated efficiency saving in his Department is for each of the next three financial years;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that his Department makes three per cent. value for money savings in each of the next three financial years;
	(3)  on what basis it is anticipated that his Department can make efficiency savings in the next three financial years.

David Hanson: In line with the comprehensive spending review settlement announced on 9 October, the Ministry of Justice will deliver value for money cash releasing savings of at least 3 per cent. per annum over the next three years.
	The Ministry of Justice value for money delivery agreement for comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07) to be published shortly will provide details of how these savings will be delivered.

Departmental Members' Interest

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the declaration of interest made to the Permanent Secretary by the former Minister of State on 13 September 2007.

Jack Straw: Information was provided to the Permanent Secretary in confidence solely for the purpose that he could advise my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman) on any potential conflicts of interest arising from donations made to her deputy leadership campaign in relation to her role as Minister of State at the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	A list of donations can be found on the Electoral Commission website at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Maria Eagle: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	The costs incurred by the Ministry of Justice since its creation on 9 May 2007 have been £193.40.

Detention Centres: Children

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children under 16 are being detained in  (a) prison awaiting trial and  (b) an immigration detention centre awaiting a decision on their asylum status.

David Hanson: At the end of October 2007, there were 35 under 16-year-olds held on untried remand in prison establishments in England and Wales.
	Information on the number of people under the age of 16 being detained in an immigration detention centre awaiting a decision on their asylum status is not available. It is not possible to say which stage of the asylum process people are at when they are detained. The decision to detain is made on a case-by-case basis and may be appropriate in one or more of the following circumstances: to effect removal; to establish a person's identity and claim; where a person presents a risk of abscond or where the application is capable of being considered quickly.
	The aforementioned figure was drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, can be subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Fixed Penalty Notices

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of each category of fixed penalty notices have been  (a) issued and  (b) paid in each month since their introduction in each police force area.

Maria Eagle: Of the categories of fixed penalty notices collected by my Department, information is available for the following:
	Data on the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued and paid by police force area for each month from 2004 to 2006 are provided in tables, which have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The PND Scheme began in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004.
	Motoring offences fixed penalty notices data are submitted to my Department on a calendar year basis from police forces. The data does not contain a month by month breakdown.
	Available annual information on motoring fixed penalty notices can be found in the Ministry of Justice Statistical publication "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables"—tables 20(a) to 20(c) refer. Copies of the publication are available in the Libraries of the House. The publication going back to 1980 can be accessed from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/motoringoffences.htm
	Data are collected on the disposal (i.e. paid, fine registration certificate issued etc.) and published in the following year's annual volume covering motoring offences.

Legal Aid Fund

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the anticipated change in budget to 2010-11 is for the Legal Aid Fund.

Maria Eagle: The annual cost of legal aid is expected to be approximately £2 billion in each of the years until 2010-11, broadly its current level.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the performance of each  (a) area office within HM Prison Service and  (b) division within HM Prison Service headquarters in meeting correspondence management targets for the year ended March 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: This information is not available for individual HQ groups and area offices. In 2006-07, reported data shows that 98 per cent. of public correspondence received by HM Prison Service area offices and HQ groups was responded to within the deadline of 20 working days.

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what payment scale is used to determine the remuneration of the previous Area Manager for London in his role of supporting the completion of the investigation by Ron Tasker; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Mr. Keith Munns, the previous area manager for London, was asked to undertake a number of continuing duties following his retirement in March this year. These included some further work on the Tasker investigation. Rates of remuneration in such circumstances are negotiated individually and reflect the level of the work involved. As Mr. Munns was undertaking the same work that he would previously have been completing as an area manager his daily rate of pay was based on senior civil service pay.

Prisoners: Drugs

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people sentenced for drug related offences who were placed on a treatment programme  (a) successfully completed the course,  (b) remained drugs free for 12 months after completing the course and  (c) went on to commit further offences in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: This information is not available in the form requested. The total numbers completing drug treatment are given in the following table. Research suggests that those completing a drug treatment and testing order (now the drug rehabilitation requirement) have significantly lower reconviction rates (33 per cent.) than those who do not (91 per cent.). Research also suggests that prison drug treatment can reduce re-offending by around 10 per cent.
	
		
			  2006-07 
			Number( 1) 
			 Probation(2) Drug rehabilitation requirement 5,940 
			 Prisons(2) Intensive rehabilitation programmes 8,350 
			 (1 )Rounded to the nearest 10 (2) Treatment options for which completion figures are available.

Prisoners: Drugs

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people sentenced for drug related offences were subsequently placed on a treatment programme for their  (a) physical needs and  (b) psychological needs in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: This is the only format for the information requested. The total numbers engaged in drug treatment are given in the following table.
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  Number 
			 Probation Drug rehabilitation requirement 15,798 
			 Prison(1) Clinical interventions 51,520 
			  CARATs(2, 3 )assessments 77,855 
			  Intensive rehabilitation programme entrants 11,150 
			 (1) Individuals engage in more than one type of treatment.  (2) Counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare.  (3) Including juvenile substance misuse services.

Prisoners: Education

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what statutory requirement exists for the prison service to offer throughcare programmes, including education and training for prisoners on short-term sentences.

Maria Eagle: Rule 32 of the Prison Rules 1999 and rules 37 to 42 inclusive of the Young Offender Institution Rules 2000 place requirements on prisons to provide education and training opportunities for prisoners. These are general duties which apply to all prisoners, and there are no specific statutory requirements for prisoners serving short sentences. The rules are available in the Library of the House.

Prisoners: Employment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were employed in prison workshops in 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: The Prison Service does not keep central records of the cumulative number of prisoners employed in prison workshops but instead records the average weekly number of prisoners involved in workshops. Prison industry workshops, including industrial laundries, account for approximately 10,000 work places. There are also a number of prison workshops employing some 800 prisoners engaged in tasks such as repairing wheelchairs and bicycles and delivering Braille services.

Prisoners: Females

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what percentage of women prisoners were serving sentences for  (a) serious,  (b) violent and  (c) drug-related offences in each of the last five years; and what percentage of those in prison for drug-related offences have a drug addiction in each year;
	(2)  what percentage of women prisoners convicted of serious offences were in prison for drugs-related offences in each of the last five years; and of these what percentage had a drug addiction.

David Hanson: The following table shows the total number of sentenced women prisoners and the proportion of these for (a) serious and violent and (b) drug offences, in prison establishments in England and Wales as at 30 June 2002-06. Serious and violent offences are defined as violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Total sentenced population 3,336 3,474 3,449 3,476 3,506 
			   
			 Violence against the person (Percentage) 16 15 17 18 19 
			 Sexual offences (Percentage) 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Robbery (Percentage) 9 12 11 10 9 
			 Total serious and violent offences (Percentage) 26 27 30 29 29 
			   
			 Drug offences (Percentage) 39 39 36 36 33 
		
	
	These figures are taken from table 8.2 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006, which has recently been published at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm These numbers relate to specific drug offences only (including the possession and supply of drugs) and not to other offences (such as those involving acquisitive crime) which may be related to drug issues of the offender.
	Data are not held centrally on the number of prisoners with a drug addiction and are not routinely collected in the format requested.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Pay

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average pay was for prisoners in  (a) education and  (b) work programmes in 2006-07.

David Hanson: A survey on prisoners' pay which was carried out during April/May 2007 indicated that the average pay for prisoners was approximately.
	
		
			  £ per week 
			  (a) Education 9.08 
			  (b) Work 9.60

Prisons

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to improve the level and consistency of provision of purposeful activity in prisons.

David Hanson: The standard core day to be introduced from April 2008 will provide a greater level of consistency and certainty to the time prisoners spend undertaking purposeful activity.

Prisons

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisons pay the same wages for participation in education and in work programmes.

David Hanson: This information is not collated centrally however to establish pay rates in prisons a survey was carried out during April/May 2007 and this indicated that 19 establishments pay equal wages for participation in education and work.

Probation Service

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government has taken to assist with the demand on the work of probation services caused by prisoners being released early.

David Hanson: Probation boards have received £300,000 in 2007-08 for the additional work arising from the End of Custody Licence scheme. The level of resources needed will be kept under review.

Probation Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what was spent on local management for the Probation Service in England and Wales for each financial year since 1997-98.

David Hanson: Expenditure on local management is not separately reported by probation boards and it would be a disproportionate cost to collect this back to 1997-98.

Probation Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what was spent on approved premises for the Probation Service in England and Wales for each financial year since 1997-98.

Maria Eagle: The following data set out what has been spent in total on the Approved Premises estate in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 52,219,391 
			 2003-04 61,998,242 
			 2004-05 63,567,929 
			 2005-06 73,358,001 
			 2006-07 84,599,882 
			 Total 335,743,445 
		
	
	Data prior to this period are not held by the Ministry of Justice or the National Offender Management Service.

Probation Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what was spent on public protection for the Probation Service in England and Wales for each financial year since 1997-98.

David Hanson: Expenditure on public protection is not identified as a separate component of Probation Boards' financial reports and it would be a disproportionate cost to separately identify it back to 1997-98.
	Public protection is intrinsic to many aspects of probation work and as such the cost cannot be separately identified.

Probation Service: Staff

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of staff employed by the Probation Service in England and Wales were in daily direct contact with offenders in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: All probation staff in the NPS are employed by the relevant probation board who are responsible for managing work load allocation. It is therefore not possible to provide information at this level. Information is however collected on the number of staff employed in offender management roles.
	The following table shows the number of staff working in an offender management role from 2003 onwards. Data prior to 2003 were collated by a different source and was incomplete in some categories. It is therefore not directly comparable with the figures collected since that time.
	
		
			  Role  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Offender management role 17,551.20 17,771.71 18,630.41 19,155.90 18,706.47 
			 Percentage 91.79 91.03 90.69 89.81 89.82 
			 Other roles 1,570.60 1,751.27 1,911.65 2,173.08 2,120.86 
			 Percentage 8.21 8.97 9.31 10.19 10.18 
			   
			 Total 19,121.80 19,522.98 20,542.06 21,328.98 20,827.33 
			 Percentage 100 100 100 100 100

Probation Service: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government have taken to improve the Probation Service in the West Midlands.

Maria Eagle: West Midlands probation area is receiving additional oversight from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Performance Improvement Unit and this will continue until there is evidence of a sustained improvement.
	With guidance from NOMS, the management of West Midlands probation area have designed a comprehensive 'Solutions Programme' focused on lifting performance. The aim of the strategy is for West Midlands probation area to achieve the required standards of performance and organisational capability.
	The most recent performance data give an early indication of improvement.

Young Offender Institutions

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what injuries were sustained by boys held in Werrington Young Offender Institution during physical control and restraint in each month in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007;
	(2)  what injuries were sustained by boys held in Wetherby Young Offender Institution during control and restraint in each month in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007.

Maria Eagle: The information for Werrington and Wetherby is set out in the following table. It should be noted that the injuries set out in the table were subsequent to fights between young people, and that it is likely that a number of the injuries were sustained in the fights rather than during restraint. The incidents are recorded nonetheless.
	
		
			   Werrington  Wetherby 
			  2006   
			 January Nose bleed Sprained wrist, reddening to wrists x4, grazing to arms x3 
			 February Split lip, grazes, bruising Reddening to wrists x4, grazing to arms x3 
			 March Minor bruising x3, nose bleed, cut to forehead Fractured wrist, sprained wrist, reddening to wrists x2, grazing to arms, grazing to face x2 
			 April Marks to face and neck Reddening to wrists x6, grazing to arms 
			 May Swelling to jaw Reddening to wrists x5, grazing to arms, grazing to legs, grazing to face 
			 June Swelling to hand x2, nose bleed, graze to knee Reddening to wrists x3 
			 July Pain in wrist Sprained wrist, reddening to wrists x6, grazing to legs 
			 August Sore wrist x2, superficial cuts Reddening to wrists x4, grazing to arms x3 
			 September 0 Sprained wrist, reddening to wrists x9, grazing to arms, grazing to legs, grazing to face 
			 October Tender thumb Fractured wrist, reddening to wrists x5 
			 November Abrasions, swelling to ear Sprained wrist, reddening to wrists x4, bruised finger 
			 December Grazes to side of face Reddening to wrists, grazing to arms, grazing to legs, grazing to face 
			
			  2007   
			 January Broken arm Reddening to wrists x4 
			 February Pain in hand, injury to little finger Sprained wrist, reddening to wrists x2 
			 March 0 Fractured wrist, reddening to wrists, grazing to face x2, grazing to arms, grazing to legs 
			 April Grazed knuckles, injury to middle finger Reddening to wrists x3 
			 May Carpet burn Reddening to wrists 
			 June Carpet burn Reddening to wrists x3, grazing to face 
			 July Graze to elbow Reddening to wrists x4 
			 August Scratches to face, loss of consciousness, fractured scaphoid Reddening to wrists x4, grazing to face, grazing to arms 
			 September 0 Reddening to wrists x6 
			 October Scratch to cheek Head injury, reddening to wrists x4, graze to head, grazing to arms 
			 November Small laceration to inner lip, slight scratch to hand Reddening to wrists x2

SCOTLAND

Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office is included in the Ministry of Justice's environmental management programme which includes implementing the Government's UK Sustainable Action Plan, published on 5 March 2007.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the equivalent cash funding paid by the UK Government to Scotland for council tax benefit will continue to be paid to the Scottish Executive in the event of a local income tax replacing council tax in Scotland.

David Cairns: Council tax benefit is a reserved matter for the UK Government. The Scottish Executive has yet to be set out any plans for any local income tax in Scotland, and as such, we cannot comment on any hypothetical situation.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his office in each year since 2000; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result;
	(2)  how many miles he and other Ministers in his Office travelled on short haul flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon emissions produced as a result of these flights.

David Cairns: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	In addition, offsetting the flights of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005.
	A list of Government carbon offsetting fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechantge/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Departmental Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of inquiries received by his Office from the public were responded to within  (a) one week,  (b) 14 days,  (c) 28 days,  (d) two months and  (e) three months in the last period for which figures are available; and in what percentage of cases it took (i) over three months and (ii) over one year to respond.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the annual report on Departments' and agencies' handling of correspondence from MPs and Peers which was published by written ministerial statement on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 101WS.
	Information for 2007 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the calendar year.
	Information on performance on handling correspondence from the public is not held in the format requested.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office, with a complement of 55, is part of the Ministry of Justice for these purposes. The Office has no staff dedicated to these functions.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff work in his Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

David Cairns: One member of staff in the parliamentary branch covers all aspects of Scotland Office parliamentary activity, as well as assisting with private office duties, but does not, in the main, deal with correspondence.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in the procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibit the assignment of debt.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office endeavours to purchase goods and services under contracts held by larger Departments, such as the Scottish Executive and the Ministry of Justice. Where this is not possible, the office seeks to follow the model terms provided by the Office of Government Commerce which says that the contractor shall not assign, sub-contract or in any other way dispose of the contract or any part of it without the contracting authority's prior approval.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place a copy of the job descriptions of his special advisers in the Library.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 November,  Official Report, column 147WS.

Sustainable Development

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system for  (a) its whole estate or  (b) some of its buildings.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office is included in the Ministry of Justice's environmental management programme which includes implementing the Government's UK Sustainable Action Plan, published on 5 March 2007.

Sustainable Development

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  whether his Department met the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate target to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007;
	(2)  whether his Department is on course to meet the commitment in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets  (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office is included in the Ministry of Justice's environmental management programme.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Audit Commission has to change audit fees charged to local authorities.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission. I will ask the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member and arrange for the letter to be published in the  Official Report.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred ,  dated 18 December 2007:
	Your parliamentary question on what plans the Audit Commission has to change audit fees charged to local authorities has been passed to me for reply.
	We issued consultation documents setting out the Commission's proposed scales of audit and inspection fees for 2008-09 and the indicative fee proposals for 2009-10 and 2010-11 to all audited bodies and other stakeholders on 30 November 2007. A copy of the consultation document for local authorities is attached. The consultation will close on 11 January 2008, and the Audit Commission Board will be asked to approve the 2008-09 work programme and fee scales at its meeting in March 2008.
	In summary, audit fees will increase from 2008-09 onwards, reflecting a number of changes that will directly increase the amount of work that auditors will need to do, and therefore the costs of the audit. Some of these are externally driven, such as the Government's requirement that the public sector adopts International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and the international accountancy profession's tightening of audit standards.
	However, we have also expanded the scope of auditors' use of resources assessments, which will form a key part of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) framework, to include commissioning and sustainable procurement, and strengthened the focus on efficiency, in line with the Government's expectations. The extra work is likely to increase audit fees. But auditors will look to substitute this additional work for existing audit work wherever possible. Any increases in audit fees will be more than offset by an overall reduction in the total costs of regulation over the next three years, as CAA replaces the current Comprehensive Performance Assessment
	We are also able to reduce the impact by a rigorous programme of efficiency savings, which will release 3 per cent. savings annually over the next three years. The Commission will continue to look for other opportunities to reduce the cost of our work to local authorities.
	I trust that this information is helpful.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Bellwin Scheme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information local authorities are required to submit to her Department to claim compensation for flooding under the Bellwin scheme; and if she will place in the Library copies of  (a) the application form for and  (b) guidance on such claims.

John Healey: As with the established arrangements for the Bellwin scheme, authorities must submit a list of the items on which they have incurred expenditure eligible for grant. When submitting their final claim, they must also provide evidence of spending on those items.
	I have placed copies of the application forms and guidance notes in the Library of the House.

Buildings: Energy

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the UK will meet the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in full.

Iain Wright: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires member states to bring into force national laws, regulations and administrative provisions to comply with the directive by 4 January 2006.
	There is a three-year derogation period within the directive to apply fully the provisions for energy certificates and plant inspections commensurate with the availability of accredited and suitably qualified assessors.
	In England and Wales, changes made to the building regulations in April 2006 implemented the technical parts of the directive.
	Energy performance certificates (EPCs) on the marketed sales of dwellings have already been introduced as part of home information packs.
	We want to ensure a smooth implementation of EPCs for other types of buildings. Lessons learnt from the introduction of EPCs already show that a phased approach has worked well for industry and consumers. That is why we think it is right that the same approach should be adopted for the roll-out to other sectors, starting from April.
	EPCs on construction of new dwellings will start on 6 April 2008
	EPCs on construction, sale or rent of buildings other than dwellings over 10,000m(2) from 6 April 2008
	EPCs on construction, sale or rent of buildings other than dwellings over 2,500m(2) from 1 July 2008
	EPCs on construction, sale or rent of all other non-dwellings from 1 October 2008
	EPCs on all other sales and new rentals of dwellings from 1 October 2008
	Display energy certificates on larger public buildings will be required by 1 October 2008.
	Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland are responsible for implementation of the directive in their regions.

Business: Non-Domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Valuation Office Agency plans to use an automated valuation model for the 2010 business rates revaluation.

John Healey: The VOA is investigating the use of outputs from the use of multiple regression analysis techniques as a tool to assist the Agency's professional valuers when making judgments about appropriate value levels for the next revaluation of non-domestic property in 2010.

Business: Non-Domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the joint Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors/Valuation Office Agency guidance note on contractors' basis valuations.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 17 December 2007 (question 173317).

Charities: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of mosques and madrassahs are registered as charities; what work the Charity Commission's Social Cohesion Unit has undertaken in promoting good governance at mosques; how many people the unit employs; and on what the £1.2 million allocated by her Department on this matter has been spent.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have asked the chief executive of the Charity Commission to write to the hon. Member and I will arrange for the letter to be published in the  Official Report.

Community Development

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to consult communities on the effects of the Government's  (a) community and  (b) counter-terrorism policies on community cohesion; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: My Department plans to consult shortly on two community-related policies laid out in the "Action Plan for Community Empowerment". Firstly whether there should be a statutory duty on local authorities to respond to petitions which pass some threshold of support and secondly the way in which the Secretary of State's powers in the Local Government Public Involvement in Health Act to exclude matters from the scope of Councillors Calls for Action (CCfA) should be applied.
	My Department also plan to consult on a consultation document on inter faith dialogue and social action on 17 December. This follows the Commission on Integration and Cohesion's report, in which we envisage the final strategy being published in late spring.
	My Department intend to make a written statement to Parliament on all of the consultations.
	Counter-terrorism policy is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, if she will publish the work of the Economic Research Council, Kings College and the Royal Society for Arts on dealing with radicalisation both at home and abroad announced by the Prime Minister.

Parmjit Dhanda: This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (David Miliband).

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  by what criteria the £45 million available to local authorities to help combat violent extremism announced in her Department's press release of 31 October 2007 will be allocated to local authorities; and how the effectiveness of those grants will be assessed;
	(2)  how much of the £45 million available to local authorities to help combat violent extremism announced in her Department's press release of 31 October 2007 will be allocated for  (a) each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11 and  (b) each type of project;
	(3)  how she plans to evaluate the effectiveness of grants from the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder fund.

Parmjit Dhanda: On 31 October 2007, the Secretary of State announced an additional £45 million to go direct to local partnerships for work to prevent violent extremism over the next three years. Eligibility and distribution criteria for the funding are being developed and will be made public in due course.
	A public consultation is currently under way on the national indicator set for local government, with indicator number 35 (Building resilience to violent extremism) focused on measuring local authority work on this agenda. These measures will be complemented by the work of the Audit Commission and other inspection bodies through the comprehensive area assessment.
	For the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund in 2007-08, reporting against spend will happen twice yearly within the overall statement of grant usage process. Local authorities will also report formally against the delivery of project outcomes twice yearly through the local area agreement review process.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  by what criteria the £25 million for national schemes to support communities in tackling violent extremism announced in her Department's press release of 31 October 2007 will be allocated; and who will allocate it;
	(2)  how much of the £25 million for the national scheme to support communities tackling violent extremism announced in her Department's press release on 31 October 2007 will be allocated  (a) in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11 and  (b) to each type of project;
	(3)  how she plans to assess the effectiveness of the £25 million expenditure on national schemes to support communities in tackling violent extremism announced in her Department's press release of 31 October 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: In her speech on 31 October 2007 the Secretary of State announced that over £25 million would be invested in national schemes to directly support communities in the comprehensive spending review period 2008-09 to 2010-11. The Department is working with a range of partners to develop detail expenditure plan over the three year period and will make details of the grant funds available in due course.
	The £25 million for national projects will be allocated to a range of work which will include:
	Equipping faith leaders with the skills and understanding required to lead communities, building their capacity to engage with young people on the challenges they face, including extremism. For example, ensuring imams can communicate more effectively with young people;
	Support communities to broaden the provision of citizenship education in mosque schools, equipping young people themselves with the understanding and arguments to reject extremists' messages;
	Developing new minimum standards for public institutions (e.g. prisons, universities) engaging imams working with young or vulnerable people;
	Supporting the Charity Commission's work to improve governance standards in faith institutions, including mosques;
	Increase support and engagement to Muslim women and young people.
	Evaluation processes will be developed for each project as an integral part of the planning process.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority forums on tackling extremism and Islamophobia have been held; which local authorities organised them; when each forum met; and who attended each.

Parmjit Dhanda: We are aware of 13 forums on extremism and Islamophobia currently in existence, in:
	Blackburn
	Bristol
	Craven
	Derby
	Dudley
	High Wycombe
	Kirklees
	Leicester
	Pendle
	Peterborough
	Reading
	Redbridge
	Swansea
	Forums are community lead and community run, though the local authorities play an important role in forums.
	Because these forums are locally run (and in most cases directly funded by the local authority) Communities and Local Government do not keep details of those who attended or the dates of all meetings.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the progress made by the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board in the five core areas highlighted in the Preventing Violent Extremism report.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) steering group launched its draft constitution and set of core standards for consultation on the 29 November 2007. The document includes standards related to the five core areas set out in the Preventing Violent Extremism Action Plan: the accreditation of imams; the development of leadership skills for imams and mosque officials; progress in the inclusion of young people and women; improvement in the governance of mosques and; supporting mosques to contribute to the community cohesion and to tackling extremism. The consultation will last until mid-January 2008. MINAB is expecting to publish a revised document in spring 2008 and will continue to support mosques to meet the core standards.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how she plans to distribute the £250,000 per annum aimed at helping young people to tackle violent extremism announced in her speech to the Preventing Extremism Conference on 31 October; and how the effectiveness of this funding will be assessed;
	(2)  when she plans to host the youth conference on tackling extremism mentioned in her speech of 31 October to the Preventing Extremism Conference; and whom she plans to invite to the conference.

Parmjit Dhanda: In her speech on 31 October 2007 the Secretary of State announced that she would provide at least £250,000 a year for the next three years to support projects which will benefit young people, and highlighted the importance of enabling young people to inform and drive this work. The Secretary of State has already identified a range of possible priorities for this funding including: peer mentoring; youth support networks; leadership programmes; arts and culture; and media and sport. We will open discussions with youth organisations and young people in order to involve them in developing funding priorities and processes which reflect their perceptions of the issue of violent extremism. Processes to assess the effectiveness of the funding will be developed as part of the work to develop funding plans and specific proposals.
	Plans for the youth conference are being taken forward in partnership with DCSF and other Government Departments. The date and invitation lists for the conference have not yet been finalised.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in the development of the new fully-accredited Continuous Professional Development Programme for Faith Leaders referred to in the Preventing Violent Extremism report.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Continuous Professional Development Programme for Faith Leaders is in its pilot stage, with three pilots already launched and a further two sites expected to launch in early 2008.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how she plans to evaluate the effectiveness of expenditure under the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund.

Parmjit Dhanda: Each piece of work funded by the Preventing Violent Extremism: Community Leadership Fund is assessed individually according to the proposed measures for effectiveness of the specific activities and objectives of each project.

Council Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the national level of housing revenue account subsidy was in each year since 1990; and what it is projected to be in each of the next 15 years, using the same assumptions which have been made for the housing revenue account pilot opt-outs.

Iain Wright: A table showing the national level of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy from 1995-96 to 2005-06 (the last year for which audited data is available) is as follows.
	The table shows the value of the 'bricks and mortar' element of HRA subsidy. Prior to 2004-05, HRA subsidy also contained a rent rebate element. This is omitted from the table to ensure consistency with post 2004-05 data. Prior to 2004-05, surpluses in the 'bricks and mortar' element were applied to the cost of rent rebates for local authorities.
	
		
			   HRA subsidy (£) 
			 1995-96 390,050,431 
			 1996-97 563,028,455 
			 1997-98 668,307,497 
			 1998-99 869,992,311 
			 1999-2000 1,040,869,030 
			 2000-01 1,123,786,228 
			 2001-02 351,105,009 
			 2002-03 252,059,142 
			 2003-04 191,153,240 
			 2004-05 77,994,764 
			 2005-06 249,427,865 
		
	
	Pre 1995-96 data is available only at disproportionate cost.
	As part of the self financing modelling exercise some broad forecasts of future HRA subsidy entitlement were generated at a national level. These forecasts were based upon a number of assumptions about factors such as the number of dwellings in the HRA subsidy system, interest rates and rates of inflation. The forecasts are highly sensitive to changes in any of these assumptions. It is based upon the 2007-08 HRA subsidy system.
	The forecast subsidies generated were as follows:
	
		
			   HRA subsidy (£ million) 
			 2008-09 -194 
			 2009-10 -216 
			 2010-11 -303 
			 2011-12 -421 
			 2012-13 -424 
			 2013-14 -376 
			 2014-15 -398 
			 2015-16 -434 
			 2016-17 -476 
			 2017-18 -543 
			 2018-19 -611 
			 2019-20 -680 
			 2020-21 -750 
			 2021-22 -822 
			 2022-23 -894

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council-owned properties were transferred to housing associations via stock transfer in England in each year since 1997-98.

Iain Wright: The following table shows how many dwellings have been transferred to registered social landlords via stock transfer from 1997-98 to date.
	
		
			  Dwellings Transferred to Registered Social Landlords via LSVT since 1997-98 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 32,982 
			 1998-99 73,900 
			 1999-2000 97,385 
			 2000-01 134,219 
			 2001-02 35,390 
			 2002-03 167,270 
			 2003-04 38,635 
			 2004-05 101,511 
			 2005-06 53,505 
			 2006-07 69,069 
			 2007 to date 38,576 
			 Total 842,442

Council Tax: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason Best Value Performance Indicator 9, on council tax collection rates, is not included in the National Indicator set.

John Healey: The national indicators have been derived from public service agreements (PSAs) and the Departments' strategic objectives (DSOs) and agreed across Government through the 2007 comprehensive spending review. The set provides clarity about the balance between national and local priorities. There are many services and activities undertaken by local government, alone or in partnership, which are not directly reflected in the set but which will continue to be important to local areas and the people they serve as well as to business. Data on CT collection rates is also collected, and will continue to be collected, through final quarterly return of council taxes and non-domestic rates (QRC4) returns submitted by all billing authorities in England.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1648-49W and to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 843-44W.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by her Department on international flights in each year since it was established.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Buildings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many square metres of  (a) total and  (b) vacant space is recorded on the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service database for (i) her Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The total amount of space recorded on the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (EPIMS) database for Communities and Local Government is 79,659 m(2). This figure includes approximately 10,000 m(2) of non-office space. The vacant space recorded is 289 m(2).
	Information for the agencies is:
	
		
			   Total m( 2)  Vacant space 
			 Fire Service College (1)37,903 0 
			 Planning Inspectorate 13,150 0 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (1)16,560 0 
			 (1 )This includes non-office space. 
		
	
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in her Department in each year since 2000; and what estimate she has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result;
	(2)  how many miles she and other Ministers in her Department travelled on short haul flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate she has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result of these flights.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since 1999 the Government have published, a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code".
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	In addition, offsetting the flights of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Departmental Contracts

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which publications, and on what websites, her Department publishes invitations to tender.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities publish invitations to tender on the procurement portal of its own website. The Department also uses the websites of the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions, the Official Journal of the Europe Union and Supply2.gov.uk. Where appropriate Communities also publish invitations to tender in relevant trade journals.

Departmental Data Protection

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many confirmed security breaches of databases controlled by her Department occurred in each of the last five years; whether the breach resulted from internal or external sources in each case; how many records were compromised on each occasion; and what estimate was made of the total number of records accessible to the individuals concerned.

Parmjit Dhanda: No confirmed breaches of personal data security in Communities and Local Government or its predecessor Department the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have been brought to our attention over the past five years. There has been correspondence with members of the public who claim that we have disclosed their personal data without their knowledge or consent, but in all cases we have been able to confirm that such disclosure was in order to pursue their complaints/inquiries, and so not in contravention of the data protection legislation.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by her Department for this purpose.  [Official Report, 18 February 2008, Vol. 472, c. 1MC.]

Parmjit Dhanda: In 2004-2007, the Equality and Diversity Unit (EDU) recorded staff costs of £1,951,549 and non-pay spend of £989,022. The EDU was responsible for internal equality policy delivery.
	In July 2007, the EDU transferred to the Race Equality Unit taking seven posts, a pay budget of £319,000 and a non-pay budget of £16,000. The newly formed Race Equality and Diversity Division has a forecast outturn in 2007-2008 of £1,951,549 pay costs (average 34.8 FTE posts) and £989,202 non-pay costs. Due to machinery of Government changes it is difficult for the Department to provide more detail.
	One HEO maintained the workforce equalities taskforce at a cost of £21,286, from July 2006 until the creation of the workforce equalities team in October 2006. These units were established to mainstream equality and diversity within Communities. The workforce equalities team now comprises two HEOs, one full-time and one working 32 hours per week. The Grade 7 team leader post is currently vacant, but assuming the post is filled on a full-time basis the costs for the team would total £74,559 annually.
	The workforce equalities team has an annual allocation of £20,000, of which £8,000 is allocated to the Department's various staff networks. This leaves £12,000 to be spent directly on mainstreaming equality and diversity within Communities.
	Like other Government Departments and as part of its commitment to ensuring good practice, Communities also pays for membership of various organisations for benchmarking purposes (e.g. Stonewall, Employers Forum on Disability) costing approximately £13,100 annually.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by her Department.

Hazel Blears: The latest statistics on the number of men and women by grade in The Department for Communities and local Government are published by The Office for National Statistics in their publication 2006 Civil Service Statistics. Table H of the publication presents permanent employees by Department, responsibility level, ethnic origin and gender.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/2006CivilServiceStatistics.pdf
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService2006TablesandCharts.xls

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff work in her Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Parmjit Dhanda: Five staff work in the Department's parliamentary branch and approximately 50 per cent. of their time is spent on dealing with parliamentary questions. The branch is not responsible for dealing with correspondence from hon. Members and peers.

Departmental Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of her Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the  (a) bonus structure,  (b) retirement provision,  (c) expenses provision,  (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years,  (e) average age of employee,  (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and  (g) ethnic composition is.

Parmjit Dhanda: On 31 October 2007, the number and proportion of staff in each salary band were as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Salary band  Number of staff (full-time equivalent)  Proportion of staff (Percentage) 
			 Industrial bands 14 1 
			 Band 1 15 1 
			 Band 2 265 12 
			 Band 3 405 18 
			 Band 4 558 24 
			 Band 5 312 14 
			 Band 6 481 21 
			 Band 7 108 5 
			 SCS Pay Band 1 101 4 
			 SCS Pay Band 1A 3 0 
			 SCS Pay Band 2 22 1 
			 SCS Pay Band 3 7 0 
			 Permanent Secretary 1 0 
			 Total 2,291 100 
		
	
	The title and role of each position within the Department can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	There are three bonus schemes in operation in the Department at present.
	 1. The senior civil service (SCS) bonus scheme
	SCS pay arrangements are not delegated to Departments but set within a framework prescribed by the Cabinet Office. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, annual bonuses primarily reward delivery of agreed personal business objectives or targets. The bonuses are not pensionable or consolidated into basic salary.
	 2. Annual Performance Awards
	Staff below the SCS receiving an overall 'exceeded' marking in their performance reports receive a one-off lump sum that is not pensionable or consolidated into basic salary. For the 2005-06 pay award the amounts varied from £350 to £1,200.
	 3. Special bonus scheme
	Staff below the SCS are also eligible to receive a special bonus to reward exceptional performance over a limited period in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Although awards are paid on an individual basis, line managers are able to make a number of awards to reward exceptional team effort—a 'team award'. Awards can be made at any time of the year and, ideally, should be paid as soon as possible after completion of the tasks to which they relate. These bonuses are not consolidated into basic salary or pensionable. Awards may be of any value up to a normal maximum of £600. The award of any sum greater than £600 is considered only very exceptionally.
	There are five different civil service pension schemes in operation at all levels in Communities and Local Government at this time: classic, classic plus, nuvos, partnership and premium schemes. The pension scheme rules are determined by the Cabinet Office. Full information on the aforementioned schemes can be obtained from the civil service pensions website:
	http://www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk/.
	In addition to the aforementioned schemes, civil servants including those who are not able to join one of the above schemes, may also contribute to a Stakeholder pension with Standard Life, subject to eligibility. The civil service does not make any contributions to this scheme but contributions by individuals may be made through payroll.
	Employees are entitled to the following expenses:
	(a) expenses when they travel on official business within the UK away from their normal workplace;
	(b) expenses when they travel on official business overseas;
	(c) certain expenses that might be payable, if the employee is offered and agrees to a permanent transfer at public expense;
	(d) certain expenses that might be payable if the employee agrees to work away from the normal workplace on detached duty; and
	(e) the reimbursement of excess fares arising from a permanent transfer at public expense.
	Expenses must be actually and necessarily incurred and must be supported by receipts. The submission of a claim knowingly containing false or inaccurate information may constitute a disciplinary offence and may lead to disciplinary action. The full detail of the expenses policy is set out in the staff handbook.
	The total expenses incurred for each salary band for each of the past 10 years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	For each pay band the average age, numbers of men and women, and ethnic composition are given in the following table. In order to avoid disclosing confidential information about individual staff members we have grouped together certain salary bands.
	
		
			Sex  Ethnic origin (percentage) 
			  Salary band  Average age (years)  Male (FTE)  Female (FTE)  White  BME  Unknown 
			 Industrial bands 47 14 0 14 0 86 
			 Band 1 & 2 43 118 161 36 22 43 
			 Band 3 40 184 221 42 27 31 
			 Band 4 39 281 277 59 15 27 
			 Band 5 43 185 127 52 9 38 
			 Band 6 42 258 222 61 7 32 
			 Band 7 46 73 35 59 8 33 
			 SCS 46 74 59 71 3 26

Departmental Pay

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in bonuses to staff in the home information pack division in the last year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: Given the small number of staff in the home information packs division, it would be a breach of confidentiality and therefore inappropriate to give details.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Winter Supplementary Estimates (HC 29), if she will break down her Department's  (a) main estimate and  (b) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following tables show, for the main and winter supplementary estimates, the split of provision between near cash, non cash and capital grants by estimate line.
	 (a) Main Estimate Provision 2007-08
	
		
			  £000 
			Near cash  Non cash  Capital Grants  Total 
			   RfR 1 
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) 
			   Central Government Support 
			 A Housing Supply and Demand 137,825 3,107 51,000 191,932 
			 B Decent Places to Live 19,729 — 500 20,229 
			 C Tackling Disadvantage 129,851 — 8,164 138,015 
			 D Better Services 123,573 20,140 5,000 148,713 
			 E Development of the English Regions 610,125 — 988,809 1,598,934 
			 F Central Administration 191,217 18,644 — 209,861 
			 G Government Office Administration 101,261 455 — 101,716 
			 H European Structural Funds—net 1 — — 1 
			 I European Structural Funds—Communities and Local Government 10,000 — 1 10,001 
			 J Ordnance Survey -1,340 1,320 — -20 
			 K Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre Executive Agency -1,409 117 — -1,292 
			 L Local Area Agreements -463,462 — -73,869 -537,331 
			   
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 M Housing Supply and Demand 118,030 — 1,114,309 1,232,339 
			 N Decent Places to Live 2,839 — -108,342 -105,503 
			 O Tackling Disadvantage 1,927,285 — 252,681 2,179,966 
			 P Better Services 10,001 — 10,000 20,001 
			 Q Development of the English Regions 6,000 — 25,000 31,000 
			 R European Structural Funds—net 0 — 1 1 
			 S Local Area Agreements 1,139,833 — 146,916 1,286,749 
			   
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) 
			   Central Government Support 
			 T Decent Places to Live 679,100 — — 679,100 
			 U Better Services — 50 — 50 
			   
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 V Better Services 163,354 — — 163,354 
			   
			   Non-Budget 
			 W Housing Supply and Demand 2,460,297 — — 2,460,297 
			 X Better Services 2,040 — — 2,040 
			 Y Decent Places to Live — — 616,000 616,000 
			 Z Tackling Disadvantage 34,492 — — 34,492 
			  Main Estimate Total RfR 1 7,400,642 43,833 3,036,170 10,480,645 
			   
			   RfR2 
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) 
			   Central Government Support 
			 A Valuation Services 174,450 — — 174,450 
			 B Best Value inspection subsidies to Public Corporations & Best Value Intervention costs 22,720 — — 22,720 
			 C Local Government Research and Publicity, Mapping Costs and Electoral Law 3,439 — — 3,439 
			   
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 D Revenue Support Grants 3,725,931 — — 3,725,931 
			 E Non Domestic Rates Payments 18,500,000 — — 18,500,000 
			 F London Governance 38,348 — — 38,348 
			 G Other Grants and Payments 244,423 — 134,251 378,674 
			   
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) 
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 H Non-domestic Rates Outturn Adjustments and LABGIS 809,000 — — 809,000 
			   
			   Non-Budget 
			 I Non-departmental Public Bodies 20,475 — — 20,475 
			   
			  Main Estimate Total RfR 2 23,538,786 0 134,251 23,673,037 
			  Main Estimate Grand Total 30,939,428 43,833 3,170,421 34,153,682 
		
	
	 Winter Supplementary Estimate
	 (b) Provision 2007-08
	
		
			  £000 
			Near Cash  Non Cash  Capital Grants  Total 
			  RfR1  
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) 
			   Central Government Support 
			 A Housing Supply and Demand 127,560 7,695 36,611 171,866 
			 B Decent Places to Live 20,641 1,255 82,810 104,706 
			 C Tackling Disadvantage 112,047 690 10,396 123,133 
			 D Better Services 123,667 21,016 5,000 149,683 
			 E Development of the English Regions 612,561 — 988,809 1,601,370 
			 F Central Administration 191,080 16,107 — 207,187 
			 G Government Office Administration 119,336 455 — 119,791 
			 H European Structural Funds—net 1 — 0 1 
			 I European Structural Funds—Communities and Local Government 10,102 — 1 10,103 
			 J Ordnance Survey -3,600 1,320 — -2,280 
			 K Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre Executive Agency -1,615 117 — -1,498 
			 L Local Area Agreements -1,016,679 — -73,869 -1,090,548 
			   
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 M Housing Supply and Demand 120,481 — 1,026,355 1,146,836 
			 N Decent Places to Live 2,839 — -108,442 -105,603 
			 O Tackling Disadvantage 1,934,273 — 266,633 2,200,906 
			 P Better Services 16,537 — 20,000 36,537 
			 Q Development of the English Regions 6,000 — 25,000 31,000 
			 R European Structural Funds—net 0 — 1 1 
			 S Local Area Agreements 1,700,440 — 149,845 1,850,285 
			   
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) 
			   Central Government Support 
			 T Decent Places to Live 679,063 — — 679,063 
			 U Better Services — 50 — 50 
			   
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 V Better Services 163,354 — — 163,354 
			   
			   Non-Budget 
			 W Housing Supply and Demand 2,586,779 — — 2,586,779 
			 X Better Services 2,040 — — 2,040 
			 Y Decent Places to Live — — 616,000 616,000 
			 Z Tackling Disadvantage 1,546 — — 1,546 
			  Winter Supplementary Total RfR 1 7,508,453 48,705 3,045,150 10,602,308 
			   
			  IRfR2 
			   Spending in Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) 
			   Central Government Support 
			 A Valuation Services 174,450 — — 174,450 
			 B Best Value inspection subsidies to Public Corporations & Best Value Intervention costs 24,420 — — 24,420 
			 C Local Government Research and Publicity, Mapping Costs and Electoral Law 3,554 — — 3,554 
			   
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 D Revenue Support Grants 3,762,931 — — 3,762,931 
			 E Non Domestic Rates Payments 18,500,000 — — 18,500,000 
			 F London Governance 38,348 — — 38,348 
			 G Other Grants and Payments 207,308 — 126,251 333,559 
			   
			   Spending in Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) 
			   Support for Local Authorities 
			 H Non-domestic Rates Outturn Adjustments and LABGIS 955,599 — — 955,599 
			   
			  Non-Budget 
			 I Non-departmental Public Bodies 20,907   20,907 
			  Winter Supplementary Total RfR 2 23,687,517 0 126,251 23,813,768 
			  Winter Supplementary Grand Total 31,195,970 48,705 3,171,401 34,416,076

Departmental Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to promote the use of  (a) referendums and  (b) direct democracy.

John Healey: Section 116 of the Local Government Act 2003 provides an express power for local authorities to hold advisory polls on local government matters; and under the Local Government Act 2000 referendums can be held in relation to local authorities' governance arrangements. Whether local authorities hold referendums or not is a matter for them. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched an action plan on community empowerment on 19 October, which included measures to promote direct democracy such as more participatory budgeting, a consultation on local petitions and development of more voluntary agreements between local authorities and communities (through local charters).

Departmental Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 681W to my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on departmental public participation, if she will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the pilot employee engagement survey by Ipsos Mori and  (b) the last completed staff survey by Ipsos Mori; and what the subject is of the GfK study.

Parmjit Dhanda: Completed staff surveys are published on the corporate website. As part of our ongoing research on homebuying reform, GfK were commissioned to explore understanding and perceptions of home information packs.

Departmental Responsibilities

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces her Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to initiate; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 3 December 2007
	 Information relating to ad hoc reviews, groups and taskforces for which the Department is responsible is published at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/publicbodies2007
	Information on consultations is published on the 10 Downing street website at:
	www.pm.gov.uk
	The Government keep policies under constant review and is in frequent contact with a range of stakeholders. The Department does not hold records of forthcoming reviews and consultations where the terms of reference or publication date have not yet been agreed. Within the disproportionate cost threshold, it has been possible to identify a number of reviews with a set remit and fixed completion date, details of which are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  CLG reviews 18 December 2007 
			  Reviews  Start date  Completion date  Purpose 
			 The future of building control 29 March 2007 We do not yet have a fixed completion date To review the principles and requirements for building standards and make recommendations on how the building control system can be revitalised 
			 
			 Councillors Commission February 2007 December 2007 To make recommendations on the incentives and barriers to encouraging suitably able, qualified and representative people to become councillors 
			 
			 Evaluation of Social HomeBuy scheme October 2006 December 2007 To understand the take up, and barriers to take up, of the pilot Social HomeBuy scheme by both housing association and local authority tenants and landlords 
			 
			 Review of the future governance of the Planning Portal July 2006 March 2008 To identify and analyse future ownership options for the Planning Portal and, if appropriate, plan a project to transfer to a successor body 
			 
			 Matthew Taylor MP Review of land use 3 September 2007 July 2008 To review how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing 
			 
			 Brian Pomery Review of Shared Equity July 2007 December 2007 To advise on development of the private shared equity market

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from her Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Hazel Blears: The table presents the number of inward and outward secondments that began in each complete financial year since the formation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2002.
	
		
			   Inward  s econdments  Outward  s econdments 
			 2006-07 54 26 
			 2005-06 30 22 
			 2004-05 60 26 
			 2003-04 51 16 
		
	
	Listed are the destinations of outward secondments where these have been recorded centrally. During the period the destination of outward secondees has not been collected centrally on a comprehensive basis. This list represents the partial information that is available.
	 Recorded Destination Organisations for Outward Secondments
	Bedford and Milton Keynes Waterway Trust
	Bexley Council
	Bracknell-Forest Council
	Camden Council
	Centre for Enterprise (CFE)
	Circle Anglia
	East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
	English Partnerships
	European Commission
	Firebuy
	Government Office London
	Groundwork UK
	Housing Corporation
	Judicial Appointments Commission
	London Development Agency
	Lewisham Council
	Local Government Association
	London and Quadrant Housing Group
	Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Madrid
	Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand
	Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH)
	Prince of Wales Office
	Regenter
	South West Regional Development Agency
	Southwark Council
	The Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea
	The Scarman Trust
	UNESCO Institute of statistics (Canada)
	Valuation Office Agency
	Youth Justice Board for England and Wales
	Listed next are the origins of inward secondments where this has been recorded centrally. Again, during the period the origin of inward secondees has not been collected centrally on a comprehensive basis. This list represents the partial information that is available.
	 Recorded Organisations from which Inward secondments have been drawn
	Audit Commission
	Avon Fire and Rescue Service
	Basildon District Council
	Beds and Luton Fire and Rescue Service
	Bradford Council
	Bradford Metropolitan District Council
	British Urban Regeneration Association
	Broxtowe Borough Council
	Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority
	Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Centrepoint
	Chief Fire Officers Association
	City of York Council
	Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service
	County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service
	Crisis
	Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service
	Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
	Devon County Council
	Devon Fire and Rescue Service
	Dorset Fire and Rescue Service
	East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
	Essex county Fire and Rescue Service
	Gloucester Fire and Rescue Service
	Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue
	Hampshire County Council-National Youth Agency
	Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Homeless Link
	Housing Corporation
	Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
	Improvement and Development Agency (IDEA)
	Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
	Leicester Fire and Rescue Service
	London Borough of Barnet
	London Borough of Camden
	London Borough of Hammersmith
	London Borough of Lambeth
	London Borough of Newham
	London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames
	London Civic Forum
	London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA)
	London Fire and Rescue Service
	Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
	Maple Access
	Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
	Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service
	Norfolk County Council
	Northamptonshire County Council
	Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service
	Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Priority Estates Project (PEP)
	Railtrack
	South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
	South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
	Stoke-on-Trent Council
	Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service
	Suffolk County Council
	Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
	Swindon and Wiltshire Fire Authority
	The Princes Trust
	Town and Country Planning Association
	Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
	University of East London
	Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
	West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service
	West Sussex County Council
	West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
	Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority
	The lengths of each secondment that began in each complete financial year since the formation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2002 are given in the following table. Secondments that have not yet been completed, as at 31 October, are referred to as ongoing.
	
		
			   Inward Secondment Lengths  Outward Secondment Lengths 
			   Number  Years  Number  Years 
			  2006-07 29 ongoing. 16 ongoing. 
			  1 0.2 1 0.3 
			  19 0.3 1 0.4 
			  1 0.5 1 0.6 
			  3 0.6 4 0.7 
			  1 1 2 1 
			1 1.1 
			  
			  2005- 0 6 17 ongoing 2 ongoing 
			  2 0.3 1 0.2 
			  1 0.5 1 0.3 
			  1 0.7 4 0.4 
			  1 0.9 1 0.5 
			  3 1 1 0.7 
			  2 1.3 1 0.8 
			  1 1.4 1 0.9 
			  1 1.7 1 1 
			  1 2 2 1.1 
			  — — 3 1.2 
			  — — 1 1.3 
			  — — 1 1.5 
			  — — 1 1.8 
			  — — 1 2.2 
			  
			  2004-05 12 ongoing 1 ongoing 
			  5 0.3 1 0.3 
			  3 0.5 2 0.4 
			  2 0.6 2 0.5 
			  6 0.7 2 0.7 
			  1 0.8 5 1 
			  6 1 2 1.1 
			  1 1.1 1 1.2 
			  2 1.2 1 1.3 
			  4 1.3 1 1.5 
			  3 1.5 2 1.6 
			  2 1.6 1 1.9 
			  1 1.7 1 2 
			  1 1.8 1 2.1 
			  1 1.9 2 2.3 
			  2 2 1 3 
			  3 2.1 — — 
			  1 2.3 — — 
			  1 2.4 — — 
			  3 2.5 — — 
			  
			  2003-04 3 ongoing 1 ongoing 
			  1 0.1 1 0.4 
			  3 0.2 1 0.5 
			  3 0.3 1 1 
			  4 0.5 1 1.1 
			  2 0.6 1 1.2 
			  2 0.7 1 1.3 
			  4 0.8 1 1.7 
			  1 0.9 1 1.8 
			  4 1 1 1.9 
			  1 1.1 1 2 
			  2 1.2 1 2.3 
			  2 1.4 1 2.8 
			  2 1.5 1 3.3 
			  2 1.6 1 3.4 
			  4 1.7 1 4.4 
			  1 1.8 — — 
			  1 1.9 — — 
			  4 2 — — 
			  1 2.5 — — 
			  1 2.7 — — 
			  1 2.9 — — 
			  1 3.1 — — 
			  1 3.7 — — 
		
	
	For nearly all outward secondments we fully recover the costs from the importing organisation so the only costs to the Department are the associated administrative costs. Each year we fund a small number of secondments to bodies such as the European Commission to provide development opportunities for staff. These costs and the cost of each secondment for each year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of her Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government (CLG) does not have a call centre. CLG shares a switchboard service with DfT. The service is provided by and managed by our telephony contractor, Siemens, who employ six agents to answer general inquiries. The contract has been in existence since October 2004 with the number of staff remaining the same. All calls are handled via a queuing system and are either responded to directly (if the information is available on their database) or transferred to a policy official. The service does not collect personal information and the only monitoring relates to statistical information on the performance of call handling activity. Both Departments meet monthly with suppliers to discuss switchboard performance.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department collects and monitors in relation to the telephone contact centres for which her Department is responsible.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government does not collect personal data from inquirers to the switchboard. The Department only monitors the service in relation to its call handling performance against the contract requirements.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much each telephone contact centre for which her Department is responsible has  (a) cost and  (b) generated in income in each financial year since their establishment.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government (CLG) does not have a call centre, and its switchboard does not generate any income from calls. CLG shares this service with DfT paying £120,840 per annum for its share of the provision of this service.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have cited moving to an alternate weekly collection of household rubbish as  (a) cashable and  (b) non-cashable efficiency savings in their submissions of (i) forward look and (ii) backward look annual efficiency statements to her Department in each year since their inception.

Parmjit Dhanda: For information on citations in Annual Efficiency Statements up to the 2006-07 Forward Look, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 14 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1173-74W.
	References for subsequent statements are as follows:
	 2006-07 Backward Look
	Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council;
	Bracknell Forest Borough Council;
	Canterbury City Council;
	Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council;
	Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council;
	Kennet District Council;
	South Cambridgeshire District Council;
	Spelthorne Borough Council; and
	and West Lancashire District Council.
	 2007-08 Forward Look
	Bridgenorth District Council;
	Canterbury City Council;
	Kennet District Council;
	Salisbury District Council;
	Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council;
	Test Valley Borough Council; and
	West Lancashire District Council.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether savings from moving to an alternate weekly collection from a weekly collection of household rubbish can be counted as a  (a) cashable and  (b) non-cashable efficiency savings for the purposes of local authorities' returns to her Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1736W.

Fire Services: Consultants

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in fees to consultants for Fire Service-related work undertaken for her Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what estimated fees her Department expects to pay to consultants working on Fire Service-related work in each year covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Consultants  Temp staff  Total 
			 2002-03 3.38 0.19 3.57 
			 2003-04 5.29 0.35 5.64 
			 2004-05 13.27 0.74 14.01 
			 2005-06 15.35 0.99 16.34 
			 2006-07 20.83 1.29 22.12 
			 2007-08 8.28 15.48 23.76 
		
	
	The cost of temporary staff has been included to reflect a recent re-categorisation of costs. The increased expenditure from 2004-05 is due to the programme of modernising the fire and rescue service. This includes the Fire and Resilience Programme, which will improve the service's capability to respond to major emergencies, including natural disasters, industrial accidents and acts of terrorism.
	Estimates of fees to be paid during the CSR07 period are not yet available.

Fire Services: Cost Effectiveness

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Gershon savings the Government expect to obtain from  (a) stand-alone fire authorities and  (b) fire authorities which are part of a local authority.

John Healey: holding answer 17 December 2007
	At the start of SR04, all Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) in England were set a national target to achieve £105 million gross cashable efficiency gains in the years 2005-06 to 2007-08. The evidence received by the Department to date indicates that FRAs are set to exceed this target and have achieved approximately £132 million in cashable efficiency gains in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Based on forecast figures provided by FRAs, a further £44 million will be achieved in 2007-08.
	Cashable efficiency gains by authority type to the end of 2006-07 are as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities 50,850,000 
			 Combined Authorities 45,993,000 
			 London 20,813,000 
			 County Authorities 15,287,000 
			 Total 132.9 million

Homelessness: Greater London

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to investigate the reasons for the 70 per cent. reduction in the number of statutory homelessness acceptances in the London borough of Newham.

Iain Wright: Homelessness prevention is key to our work on tackling homelessness and continues to be a very effective approach. Nearly all local authorities have a comprehensive prevention toolkit in place, which is leading to successful early interventions to help households avoid the crisis of homelessness altogether.
	London borough of Newham have been particularly pro-active on the prevention agenda over the last 12 months which has led to significant reductions in homelessness acceptances. The successful number of homelessness preventions in the borough rose by 278 per cent. to 1,696 in 2006-07.
	On 5 December, we announced homelessness grant funding of at least £150 million over the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11 to continue to support local authorities to tackle and prevent homelessness in their area. This a 6 per cent. increase on the current year. London borough of Newham's homelessness grant will increase from £200,000 to £300,000 for 2008-09, a rise of 50 per cent.
	A Homelessness Action Team has been set up in partnership with the Department and the Housing Corporation. This team will continue to monitor and support the London borough of Newham and the other London boroughs in their efforts to tackle homelessness.

Housing: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes the Government have  (a) made and  (b) announced to the (i) total amount of funding for, (ii) maximum allocated to individuals under, (iii) bidding process used in and (iv) eligibility requirements for private sector renewal grants in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: £10.2 billion has been allocated by my Department for regional housing funding for 2008-11 for housing capital programmes including those which address the condition of private sector housing stock. Of this, almost £2 billion is for improvements and regeneration to the existing stock (both local authority owned and private sector). These allocations were announced on 12 December.
	No changes have been made to the bidding process for the Regional Housing Pot and we are currently seeking the Regional Assemblies' recommendations on allocations to individual local authorities in their area drawn from the private sector renewal part of the Regional Housing Pot.

Housing: Industrial Health and Safety

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department will require from local authorities on the implementation of the housing health and safety ratings system.

Iain Wright: Through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return we are collecting data from local authorities on the number of private sector dwellings with category one hazards, the estimated cost of removing the category 1 hazards and the number of private sector dwellings made free of category one hazards or demolished as a direct result of action by the local authority during 2006-07.
	Through the Business Plan Statistical Appendix returns we are collecting data on the number of local authority homes that do not meet the statutory minimum standard for housing and the costs to put the defects right.
	Subject to data quality the Department plans to publish these data in January.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she proposes to give Bridging Newcastle Gateshead (BNG) on the proportion of new homes to be created by BNG in the Newcastle Housing Pilot Area which will be affordable to rent or buy.

Iain Wright: holding answer 13 December 2007
	I do not propose to issue any guidance on this matter. It is for individual Housing Pathfinders such as BNG to determine appropriate levels of affordable homes, working in conjunction with other authorities and with the involvement of the local community. In the case of Newcastle, decisions about the mix and level of affordability will be informed by the city's housing strategy, the Walker Riverside Area Action Plan, adopted in April 2007, the draft Core Strategy Development Plan Document, and the draft Benwell/Scotswood Area Action Plan.

Housing: Owner Occupation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the causes for recent changes in the level of home ownership.

Iain Wright: Sustained economic growth and stability since 1997 have created the conditions for a growth in home ownership, with a million more home owners over the last 10 years. The Housing Green Paper, "Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable" (CM 7191), published in July, set out the Government's assessment of progress on housing, together with plans to address the housing challenges the country faces.
	We have recently published the Housing and Regeneration Bill, which will help deliver the commitments set out in the Housing Green Paper to deliver more and greener homes, in mixed and sustainable communities. The Bill also establishes the new Homes and Communities Agency which will focus on delivering more new and affordable homes across all tenures and will drive and invest in regeneration.

Housing: Standards

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many children under the age of 16 years were housed in accommodation classified as overcrowded or unsuitable in each region in England for each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: It is estimated that, over the period 2001-02 to 2005-06, there were an average of 900,000 children under the age of 16 living in overcrowded conditions in England, with the following regional split.
	
		
			  Number of children under 16 living in overcrowded conditions, average 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Government office region  Number 
			 North East 30,000 
			 North West 110,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 70,000 
			 East Midlands 50,000 
			 West Midlands 110,000 
			 Eastern 70,000 
			 London 280,000 
			 South East 110,000 
			 South West 70,000 
			   
			 England 900,000 
			  Source: Survey of English Housing. 
		
	
	Estimates for each year are not available because of small sample sizes.
	The benchmark for assessing whether or not a household is overcrowded is the bedroom standard. This is determined for each household in accordance with its age/sex/marital status composition and the relationship of the members to one another. A separate bedroom is required:
	for each married or cohabiting couple;
	for any other person aged 21 or over;
	for each pair of adolescents aged 10-20 of the same sex and
	for each pair of children under 10.
	Further, any unpaired person aged 10-20 is paired, if possible with a child under 10 of the same sex, or, if that is not possible, he or she is counted as requiring a separate bedroom, as is any unpaired child under 10.
	This standard is then compared with the actual number of bedrooms (including bed-sitters) available for the sole use of the household. Bedrooms converted to other uses are not counted as available unless they have been denoted as bedrooms by the residents. Bedrooms not actually in use are counted unless uninhabitable.
	If a household has fewer bedrooms than implied by the standard then it is deemed to be 'overcrowded'. Since one bedroom will be sufficient for single person households and for married/cohabiting couples, these households cannot be overcrowded according to the bedroom standard. If a household has two or more bedrooms, fewer than implied by the standard, then it is deemed to be 'severely overcrowded'.
	On 12 December, my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Housing announced an additional £15 million funding for overcrowding and launched an action plan setting out the Government's commitment to tackling overcrowding—copies have been placed in the Library of the House. We have already announced an increase in the provision of new social housing including a year-on-year increase in the number of family homes, namely those with three or more bedrooms.

Housing: Standards

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether any local housing authorities have informed her Department that they will not be able to achieve the decent home standard by 2010;
	(2)  how many local housing authorities are on target to meet the decent home standard by 2010.

Iain Wright: Of the 354 district and single tier local authorities 293 have delivered or have plans in lace to deliver decent homes for their own housing stock by the end of 2010. 61 have negotiated decent homes delivery deadlines later than 2010, or are in the process of negotiating those deadlines.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for her Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: There is no information to suggest that anyone without the appropriate employment status has worked in the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Local Authorities: Equal Opportunities

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the cost of the implementation of the Disability Equality Duty on local authorities.

John Healey: It is for the Department introducing new legislation to undertake a regulatory impact assessment of the legislation, including the costs to different sectors, including—where appropriate—local government. This was done as part of the impact assessment for the Disability Equality Duty, published in April 2005.

Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much local authorities in England have received in cash terms from the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme in each year of its operation; and what amount is forecast to be received in each of the next three years.

John Healey: Details of the current Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme (LABGI) were first announced in a written ministerial statement to the House on 21 July 2005,  Official Report, columns 118-120WS. This said that local authorities would stand to gain up to £1 billion through the scheme in England and Wales over three years, with the first payment to be made in February 2006. Under LABGI, local authorities in England have received cash payments of £150 million in 2005-06 and £384 million in 2006-07. We remain committed to allocating up to £935 million across England over the three years of the scheme.
	The future of LABGI will be determined in part by responses to an 'issues paper', published in October, which seeks views on reform of LABGI and its incorporation into the mainstream system of funding. This paper can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/labgischemereforms
	The reformed incentive scheme would be phased-in from 2009-10. £50 million will be available in England for 2009-10 and this will double to £100 million in 2010-11.

Local Government Finance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will rank each English local authority by real terms  (a) percentage change and  (b) expenditure in revenue support grant in each year since 1992.

John Healey: Information on settlements in the years 2007-08 and 2006-07 are available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0708/grant.htm
	and
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0607/grant.htm.
	Information on settlements are, as a matter of course, each year, placed in the Libraries of the House.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of specific grants to local government were ring-fenced in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: Excluding Dedicated Schools Grant and other schools grants, the level of ring-fencing of local authority funding is 10.5 per cent. in 2007-08. On a comparable basis, ring-fencing in 2006-07 was also 10.5 per cent.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much is expected to be allocated by her Department in  (a) specific and  (b) ring-fenced grants in each of the next three years.

John Healey: Information on specific revenue grants intended to be provided to local authorities from this Department is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Ringfenced/  unringfenced  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Supporting people(1) RF 1,686.000 0.000 0.000 
			 Private finance initiative UF 677.000 853.000 1,069.000 
			 LAA reward grant UF 244.000 234.000 123.000 
			 Housing and planning delivery grant(2) UF 67.000 160.000 250.000 
			 Homelessness UF 49.204 49.204 49.204 
			 Housing market renewal fund RF 25.000 25.000 25.000 
			 Working neighbourhoods fund reward grant UF 0.000 0.000 50.000 
			 Growth areas, points and eco towns UF 14.000 14.000 14.000 
			 Total  2,762.204 1,335.204 1,580.204 
			 (1) The aim is to include Supporting People funding in area based grant from 2009-10, dependent on pilots in 2008-09 not raising serious concerns. (2) 2009-10 and 2010-11 HPDG figures are provisional. However, the total for HPDG resource plus capital over the three years of the CSR07 period will be £510 million. 
		
	
	In addition, the Department intends to provide £2,993.073, £4,829.169 and £4,742.056 million area based grant over the next three years. Area based grant is a new general grant to be paid by CLG. Supporting People funding is included within the total for 2009-10 and 2010-11, but is subject to review(1).
	The Department will also provide specific grants to fire and rescue authorities to support their work on the resilience programme which, in the main, will be provided without conditions attached.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) specific and  (b) ring-fenced grants will cease to be ring-fenced under her Department's plans to reduce ring-fencing in the period up to 2011.

John Healey: Under the Department's plans to reduce ring-fencing up to 2010-11, the following formerly ring-fenced specific revenue grants will have the ring-fence removed from 2008-09 onwards:
	School Travel Advisers
	School Improvement Partners
	Primary National—Central Co-Ordination
	Secondary National Strategy—Central Co-Ordination
	Secondary National Strategy—Behaviour and Attendance
	Extended Schools Start Up Costs
	General Duty on Sustainable Travel to School
	School Development Grant (Schools Element)
	Extended Rights for Free Travel
	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
	Mental Health
	Children's Services Grant
	Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation
	Respect—Youth Taskforce Areas
	Connexions
	Children's Fund
	Choice Advisers
	Education Health Partnerships
	Stronger Safer Communities Fund
	Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
	Working Neighbourhoods Fund (formerly Neighbourhood Renewal Fund)
	Supporting People (2009-10 onwards)
	Supporting People Administration
	Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant
	Local Enterprise Growth Initiative
	Housing Market Renewal Grant
	Growth Areas, Points and Eco Towns
	Rural Bus Subsidy Grant.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether councils with above-average collection rates for  (a) council tax and  (b) business rates receive any financial reward in terms of additional revenue as a consequence of the higher collection rates.

John Healey: A council's performance on collecting council tax or business rates does not affect the amount of formula grant it receives.

Local Government Finance

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will provide additional funding to local authorities for work on the bids for unitary status from  (a) Exeter city,  (b) Bedford borough,  (c) Chester city and  (d) Ipswich borough council.

John Healey: No. In the course of their business, local authorities respond to many consultation exercises and requests for information, and consequently, budget for this as part of their business planning.

Local Government Finance: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the local authority grant settlement was per capita for Herefordshire in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The following table shows the average formula grant per head for Herefordshire for each year since 1997. Formula grant comprises Revenue Support Grant and redistributed business rates. In order to compare grant on a like-for-like basis we calculate a notional adjusted formula grant for the previous year which reflects the changes to funding and function. From 2006-07 support for schools was financed through the Dedicated Schools Grant; prior to 2006-07 support for schools was included within formula grant.
	
		
			  Current year  Adjusted prior year's formula grant  per head  (£ per head)  Current year's formula grant  per head  (£ per head)  Change (£ per head)  Percentage change 
			 1998-99 491.73 487.52 -4.22 -0.9 
			 1999-2000 487.52 511.57 24.06 4.9 
			 2000-01 511.58 533.21 21.64 4.2 
			 2001-02 532.65 556.58 23.93 4.5 
			 2002-03 545.55 575.17 29.62 5.4 
			  
			  Amended 
			 2003-04 598.05 607.33 9.27 1.6 
			 2004-05 590.82 631.81 40.99 6.9 
			 2005-06 632.37 665.02 32.65 5.2 
			  
			 2006-07 256.94 259.45 2.51 1.0 
			 2007-08 256.99 264.22 7.23 2.8

Local Government Finance: Newcastle

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what baseline funding support for the city of Newcastle would be from the use of the  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006 mid-year estimate of population.

John Healey: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The provisional formula grant settlement for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 use the Office for National Statistics revised 2004-based sub-national population projection for 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively as the main measure of the resident population.
	These statistics are the best data available on a consistent basis for all local authorities and that are available at this time of calculating the next three-year formula grant settlement.
	Mid-2006 estimates of population will also be used but only as part of other indicators that are used in the calculation of the relative needs component.
	It is not possible to provide an estimate of how much formula grant would be allocated to the city of Newcastle if we use the mid-2004 or mid-2006 estimate of population as the main measure of population instead of the projection of population for 2008. This is because the Government might well have taken a different decision on the level of the grant floor using these scenarios, and projections for 2008 and beyond, based on the 2006 mid-year estimates, will not be available until summer 2008.
	Under our proposals, Newcastle-upon-Tyne benefit from the grant floor over these three years by £8 million, £8.9 million and £9.6 million respectively.
	We are currently consulting on these proposals, and we welcome any views on them by the 8 January 2008.

Local Government Finance: Rural Areas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she gives to rural factors when determining local authorities' grants allocation; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: An authority's formula grant allocation is largely based on the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the authority, together with the number of band D equivalent properties within its area. A measure of how sparsely the population is distributed in an area is included in the Local Authority Central Education Functions Relative Needs Formula (RNF), the Social Services for Older People RNF, the Police RNF and the district-level Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services RNF. We then ensure that no authority loses grant year-on-year on a like-for-like basis i.e. after adjusting for changes in funding and function. In order to pay for the cost of the floor, we scale back the increase above the floor for other authorities.

Local Government Finance: Unitary Councils

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average local authority grant settlement was per capita for unitary authorities in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The following table shows the average formula grant per head for shire unitary authorities for each year since 1997. Formula grant comprises Revenue Support Grant and redistributed business rates. In order to compare grant on a like-for-like basis we calculate a notional adjusted formula grant for the previous year which reflects the changes to funding and function. From 2006-07 support for schools was financed through the Dedicated Schools Grant; prior to 2006-07 support for schools was included within formula grant.
	
		
			  Current year  Adjusted prior year's formula grant  per head  (£ per head)  Current year's formula grant  per head  (£ per head)  Change (£ per head)  Percentage change 
			 1998-99 587.96 597.53 9.56 1.6 
			 1999-2000 597.53 623.28 25.75 4.3 
			 2000-01 623.28 646.54 23.26 3.7 
			 2001-02 643.22 667.88 24.65 3.8 
			 2002-03 643.51 674.70 31.18 4.8 
			  
			  Amended 
			 2003-04 697.85 750.09 52.25 7.5 
			 2004-05 726.87 767.68 40.82 5.6 
			 2005-06 774.53 817.78 43.25 5.6 
			  
			 2006-07 329.25 335.92 6.67 2.0 
			 2007-08 333.49 346.35 12.85 3.9

Local Government: Bedfordshire

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what options her Department is considering for local government restructuring in  (a) Bedfordshire and  (b) Cheshire.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I have made to the House today (18 December 2007).

Local Government: Elections

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to offer  (a) free doughnuts or  (b) free lottery tickets to incentivise the electorate to vote in local elections.

John Healey: The Secretary of State has received the Councillors Commission report and is considering the broad range of proposals it puts forward, in consultation with the LGA, local authorities and other key stakeholders. My right hon. Friend will be issuing our response, along with an implementation plan, in the spring.

Local Government: Exeter

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information presented on Exeter City Council's bid for unitary status did not meet the criteria set out in the Invitation to Councils in England.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement 'Local Government', I made on 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 65WS.

Local Government: Exeter

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timescale is for the deferred decision on Exeter City Council's bid for unitary status.

John Healey: We aim to refer Exeter city council's unitary proposal to the Boundary Committee in time for them to begin their review as early as possible in the new year.

Local Government: Exeter

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the Boundary Commission will consult on Exeter city council's bid for unitary status; and if she will ensure that the Boundary Commission publishes its terms of reference.

John Healey: Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, the Boundary Committee is required to consult the council of any area affected by the review and such local authorities, parish councils and other persons as appear to them to have an interest. The Government will publish the terms of their referral to the Boundary Committee.

Local Government: Exeter

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representations she has received which are opposed to Exeter City Council's bid for unitary status.

John Healey: We received some 700 responses to the stakeholder consultation in response to Exeter city council's proposal for unitary status. The consultation did not specifically ask consultees to indicate support specifically for or against the proposals. Of those responses, where this is discernable, approximately 80 per cent. broadly opposed the proposal.

Local Government: Ipswich

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what representations she has received on the estimated cost of investigating unitary status for Ipswich from  (a) Suffolk county council and  (b) Ipswich borough council;
	(2)  what representations she has received on the number of man hours spent investigating unitary status for Ipswich by  (a) Suffolk county council and  (b) Ipswich borough council.

John Healey: We have received no representations from Suffolk county council or Ipswich borough council about the number of staff hours spent or costs incurred on proposals for unitary status.

Local Government: Publicity

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the code of recommended practice on local authority publicity was last revised; and what plans she has to change the code.

John Healey: The code of recommended practice on local authority publicity was issued in 1988 and was last revised in April 2001. Following consultation by my Department earlier this year, which indicated general support for a centrally-issued code, we intend to consider the future of the code with local government stakeholders in the new year.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written statement of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 65WS, on local government, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse  (a) locally and  (b) nationally of work on proposals for local government restructuring which will not be proceeded with.

John Healey: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The Invitation to councils issued on 26 October made clear that it was wholly at the discretion of a council as to whether or not it responded to the invitation to make a proposal for future unitary local government structures in their area.
	Within my Department a small team, costing some £1.7 million per year, works on all aspects of local government restructuring, including the assessment of all the unitary proposals and, as appropriate, their implementation.

Local Government: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to adopt the recommendations of the Councillors' Commission final report on  (a) local government pensions,  (b) the code of practice on local authority publicity,  (c) removing political restrictions on local authority staff and  (d) councillor allowances.

John Healey: The Secretary of State has received the Councillors Commission report and is considering the broad range of proposals it puts forward, in consultation with the LGA, local authorities and other key stakeholders. My right hon. Friend will be issuing her response, along with an implementation plan, in the spring.

Local Government: Suffolk

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what representations she has received on the cost of pursuing pathfinder status from  (a) St. Edmundsbury borough council,  (b) Forest Heath district council,  (c) Babergh district council,  (d) Mid Suffolk district council,  (e) Suffolk coastal district council,  (f) Waveney district council and  (g) Suffolk county council;
	(2)  what representations she has received on the number of man hours spent pursuing pathfinder status from  (a) St. Edmundsbury borough council,  (b) Forest Heath district council,  (c) Babergh district council,  (d) Mid Suffolk district council,  (e) Suffolk coastal district council,  (f) Waveney district council and  (g) Suffolk county council.

Iain Wright: I have received no representations from the named local authorities on the costs or number of man hours of pursuing pathfinder status.

Local Government: Television Channels

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has incurred any expenditure, other than for publicity, on the Local Government Today television channel.

Parmjit Dhanda: I am not aware that the Department has incurred any such expenditure.

Maps: Copyright

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ordnance Survey plans to conduct an impact assessment in its review of the Paper Map Copying Licence fees, terms and conditions.

Iain Wright: A recent review by Ordnance Survey of the Paper Map Copying Licence has resulted in redrafting to clarify the terms and conditions. No previously available rights have been withdrawn as a result of this. An increase in licence royalties will be implemented from 1 January 2008, alongside a programme to make access to the licence easier, by allowing third party intermediaries to issue the licence and receive a fee for doing so.
	Ordnance Survey undertakes regular reviews of all of its licence terms and conditions and charges. These reviews include routine assessments of the need for adjustments to licence terms and conditions, to maintain clarity for users and between licences intended for different purposes. The reviews take account of changes in market conditions, technology and the ways in which Ordnance Survey information is used. The assessments consider the balance between Ordnance Survey's financial obligations as a government trading fund and the impact of changes upon different types of user.

Muslims: Females

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish a good practice guide on effective initiatives to strengthen the role that Muslim women play in their communities as referred to in the Preventing Violent Extremism report.

Parmjit Dhanda: The good practice guide on effective initiatives to strengthen the role that Muslim women play in their communities will be published early in the new year.

Muslims: Females

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many roundtables with academics, theologians and community leaders on women's access to mosque life have taken place as referred to in the Preventing Violent Extremism report; where they were held; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since April 2007, there have been two roundtable meetings with academics, theologians and leading Muslim women in which women's access to mosque life was discussed, which built on a previous roundtable earlier in the year. These roundtables were held at the Department for Communities and Local Government, Eland House, London.
	The Department has also hosted two wider stakeholder roundtables in which a range of issues, including the empowerment of Muslim women, was discussed.

Muslims: Vocational Training

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support her Department is providing to help develop leadership skills among Muslim women and young people; what the cost of this has been; and what expenditure is planned in the next three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the financial year 2007-08 Communities and Local Government (CLG) supported the development of leadership skills among Muslim women and young people through the funding of projects from the Preventing Violent Extremism: Community Leadership Fund and providing media seminars.
	£233,200 of the Preventing Violent Extremism: Community Leadership Fund has been spent on building the leadership capacity of Muslim women and young people.
	CLG is both independently and jointly funding media seminars with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to enable a greater number of young British Muslims, both men and women, to have the confidence and the skills to act as community leaders and ensure their voices are heard in wider public debate. The cost of this to date is £1,375 and work is ongoing.
	The Secretary of State has undertaken to provide £45 million for local projects and £25 million for national schemes to support communities in preventing violent extremism. The Secretary of State made it clear in her speech at the Preventing Extremism: Strengthening Communities National Conference that women and young people will be prioritised.

National Anthems

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what work  (a) her Department and  (b) the Equalities and Human Rights Commission is (i) undertaking and (ii) funding on changes to the national anthem.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission are not undertaking or funding any work on changes to the national anthem.

Office of the Local Government Ombudsman: Conditions of Employment

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether it is a requirement for staff in the Office of the Local Government Ombudsman not to have previously been local government employees.

John Healey: There is no such requirement.

Pedestrian Areas: Safety

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many claims have been made against local authorities for trips and falls due to uneven pavements in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information is not held centrally.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the  (a) rural proofing analysis and  (b) an environmental impact assessment was undertaken in the Impact Assessment for Housing and Planning Delivery Grant.

Iain Wright: The current consultation on the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant takes forward a key component of the Housing Green Paper, "Homes for the future" (Cm 7191), which set out how Government would deliver on their housing target of 240,000 new homes per year by 2016.
	The Green Paper had been accompanied by a detailed impact assessment, which included its own rural proofing, sustainability and other environmental analyses.

Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 have yet to be commenced.

Iain Wright: The provisions yet to be commenced are included in the table that I have deposited in the Library of the House.

Planning Permission: Greenbelt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers the  (a) new Infrastructure Planning Commission and  (b) regional development agencies will have from 2010 to review or remove green belt planning protection.

Iain Wright: Under the terms of the Planning Bill, the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will take over the powers currently held by the Secretary of State, where a nationally significant infrastructure project would propose to use green belt land. The IPC would only be able to use these powers where this is in accordance with the national policy statement, which would set out (among other matters) how the Secretary of State believes applications referring to green belt land should be treated. Clause 125 of the Planning Bill makes clear that where an order granting development consent allows the acquisition or sale of green belt land, or frees it from any restrictions imposed on it under the Green Belt Act 1938, the IPC must notify all relevant local authorities and the Secretary of State.
	With regard to regional development agencies, we have yet to consult on the details of their future role in spatial planning following on from our proposals set out in the Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration Review (July 2007). We will be consulting in the new year on how these proposals are to be implemented.

Planning: Leisure

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the funding allocated for infrastructure in growth areas and growth points will be available for new build and refurbishment of sports and leisure facilities.

Iain Wright: Funding allocated through the £732 million Growth Fund to local authorities and their partnerships in the Growth Areas and Growth Points is intended to enable local authorities to make growth more sustainable, including provision of new community facilities. The funding is un-ringfenced and it is for local authorities to prioritise how this funding is used in their area, including whether to invest this funding for new build and refurbishment of sports and leisure facilities.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely impact of allowing greater provision of energy from renewable sources off-site on the UK's capacity to contribute to the EU target that 20 per cent. of energy should come from renewable sources by 2020; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Impact Assessment undertaken for our policy statement: Building a Greener Future, published in July 2007, estimated that the Government's zero carbon home policy could generate an increased contribution from renewables to the total UK electricity demand of around one per cent by 2020. The policy statement defined renewable energy supply for zero carbon homes in this context as coming from on site or local, decentralised energy sources connected to the development. The Impact Assessment did not disaggregate between these different sources.

Planning: Retail Trade

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her timetable is for revising planning policy statements on out-of-town retail developments.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 149W.

Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund: Finance

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to increase levels of funding for the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund over the next three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Community Leadership Fund objectives are supporting women; building community leadership including leadership by young people and building community capacity to resist violent extremist ideologies. Grant funding for these objectives will increase substantially over the next three years.

Public Bodies: Internet

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what work or research is being  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned by her Department on the development of XML schema for the sharing of data between public authorities.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government (CLG) has a number of XML schemas in use at present as this is the currently preferred mechanism for collecting data in a standard format and in accordance with eGIF.
	CLG are presently devising a data interchange mechanism that uses XML for collecting and sharing the National Indicator set as part of the New Performance Framework across Local, Regional and Central Government. As part of this programme CLG has commissioned a partner to build a data interchange hub.

Recreation Spaces: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many acres of green space there are in the Borough of Tamworth, excluding the flood plain area.

Iain Wright: The amount of green space within the borough of Tamworth excluding the flood plain is 2,400 acres.

Recycling: Birmingham

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the household recycling rates were in Birmingham city council area in  (a) each year since 2000-01 and  (b) each quarter in 2006-07; and what municipal recycling rates were in 2006-07.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	The reported figures for Best Value Performance Indicators 182a and 182b (the percentage of household waste recycled or composted) for Birmingham city council for each year since 2000-01 are as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2000-01 13.6 
			 2001-02 8.4 
			 2002-03 10.8 
			 2003-04 12.93 
			 2004-05 14.94 
			 2005-06 16.99 
			 2006-07 18.39 
		
	
	The household recycling/composting rate percentages for each quarter in 2006-07 were as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 April to June 23 
			 July to September 25 
			 October to December 17 
			 January to March 20 
		
	
	Birmingham city council's municipal recycling rate for 2006-07 was 20.24 per cent.

Regional Government: Brussels

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which regional assemblies have offices in Brussels; and how much each spent on each of the offices in each of the last three years.

John Healey: Each of the regional assemblies makes a contribution with regional partners, including the regional development agency and regional local government association, towards an office in Brussels. Details of the cost incurred by each assembly are:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Assembly  Cost of maintenance 
			  East  
			 2005-06 (1)340,000 
			 2006-07 (1)350,000 
			 2007-08 (1)360,000 
			   
			  East  M idlands  
			 2005-06 7,500 
			 2006-07 20,000 
			 2007-08 20,400 
			   
			  North E ast  
			 2005-06 90,190 
			 2006-07 64,000 
			 2007-08 66,000 
			   
			  North  W est  
			 2005-06 19,810 
			 2006-07 19,810 
			 2007-08 19,810 
			   
			  South  E ast  
			 2005-06 51,500 
			 2006-07 53,600 
			 2007-08 75,000 
			   
			  South  W est  
			 2005-06 11,000 
			 2006-07 11,330 
			 2007-08 4,000 
			   
			  West  M idlands  
			 2005-06 6,900 
			 2006-07 Nil 
			 2007-08 Nil 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 2005-06 312,900 
			 2006-07 340,000 
			 2007-08 (2)— 
			 (1 )Figures for the east of England are estimates as the regional assembly is unable to provide precise figures. (2) Information not yet available.  Note: Figures for 2007-08 are estimates based on expenditure to date.

Regional Government: East of England

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what engagements the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield has attended in her capacity as Minister for the East of England since her appointment.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Minister for the East of England, my hon. Friend the Member for Stevenage has met chief executives and leaders from local authorities as part of a programme of regional visits. My hon. Friend has also held a wide range of meetings and discussions with the Regional Development Agency, Regional Assembly, Learning Skills Council and Civil Servants. The Regional Minister has also undertaken high profile press events to understand the impact of Avian Influenza and the response to the Coastal Surge that affected the region. Engagements include the following:
	
		
			   Engagement 
			 26 July 2007 Meeting chief executives and key stakeholder to introduce Regional Minister Role 
			 3 September 2007 Visit to EEDA to discuss Regional Minister priorities 
			 10 September 2007 Visit to EERA and then Ipswich to meet chief executives and leaders 
			 17 September 2007 Meeting with Norfolk chief executives and leaders 
			 28 September 2007 Chairing Regional Partnership Group 
			 1 October 2007 Speaking at the LAA Launch Event 
			 11 October 2007 Attending Greater South East Reception 
			 26 October 2007 Attending Forum to meet with business leaders and my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney 
			 6 November 2007 Attending EEDA's Destination Growth Event to meet key businesses 
			 9 November 2007 Following Tidal Surge, visit to Yarmouth and Lowestoft with my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government 
			 12 November 2007 Meeting with the East of England Business Group 
			 12 November 2007 Meeting with Regional Cities East 
			 16 November 2007 First Government visit to Regional Operations Centre following outbreak of avian flu 
			 28 November 2007 Attending event for Thames Gateway Delivery Plan Launch 
			 30 November 2007 Attending the Rural Skills Conference, Peterborough 
			 3 December 2007 Chairing the Regional Partnership Group 
			 10 December 2007 Meeting with local authorities to discuss the growth agenda 
			 18 December 2007 Chairing the first meeting of the Northstowe Liaison Group

Regional Government: South East Region

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) date and  (b) purpose has been of each visit made by the Minister for the South East to (i) Kent, (ii) Sussex, (iii) Surrey, (iv) Hampshire, (v) the Isle of Wight, (vi) Oxfordshire, (vii) Buckinghamshire and (viii) Berkshire.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17  December 2007
	 My hon. Friend the Minister for the South East has undertaken a number of visits across the South East region as set out in the following table:
	 [Official Report, 16 January 2008; Vol. 470, c. 11MC.]
	
		
			  County  Date of visit  Reason for visit 
			 (i) Kent 8 August 2007 To discuss impact of Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak 
			 (i) Kent 30 October 2007 Volunteering Seminar 
			 (i) Kent 22 November 2007 Fisheries visit plus visit to Pines Calyx, Sustainable venue and conference centre 
			 (i) Kent 23 November 2007 Visit to IMPACT Competition day—Instant Muscle (charity) programme 
			 (ii) Sussex 30 July 2007 Fisheries visit 
			 (ii) Sussex 25 November 2007 UNISON Regional Policy Weekend 
			 (ii) Sussex 3 December 2007 Visit arranged by SEEDA on skills theme 
			 (iii) Surrey 8 October 2007 Visit to GOSE and meeting with SE Regional Development Agency and SE Regional Assembly to discuss priority issues for the region 
			 (iii) Surrey 8 October 2007 Legislative programme consultation event 
			 (iii) Surrey 21 November 2007 CBI Regional Council Meeting 
			 (iv) Hants 15 October 2007 Visit to meet Partnership for Urban Hampshire 
			 (iv) Hants 12 November 2007 Visit to New Forest National Park 
			 (iv) Hants 14 November 2007 Regional Assembly Plenary Meeting 
			 (vii) Bucks 9 August 2007 To discuss impact of Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak 
			 (vii) Bucks 16 October 2007 To launch the South East Fresh Start Academy 
			 (viii) Berks 24 July 2007 Floods recovery visit 
			 (viii) Berks 2 August 2007 Floods recovery visit

Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of local planning authorities have had the core strategies of their Local Development Framework approved by the Government; and what her Department's targets are in this regard.

Iain Wright: As of 5 December 2007, 18 core strategies have been found sound at independent examination. This represents 5 per cent. of all local authorities in England.
	The cross-governmental PSA no. 20 on Housing Supply has as its sixth indicator "Local Planning authorities to have adopted the necessary Development Plan Documents, in accordance with their Local Development Schemes, to bring forward developable land for housing in line with PPS3". The "national target" under this heading is "By March 2011, 80 per cent. of local planning authorities to have adopted the necessary Development Plan Documents, in accordance with their agreed Local Development Scheme". This is the Government's target.

Regional Planning and Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for  (a) panel reports on each of the regional spatial strategies to be delivered to her Department and  (b) her response to each report.

Parmjit Dhanda: The timetable (indicative) sets out the actual dates or anticipated dates when panel reports and the Secretary of State's proposed changes for the eight English RSSs will be published
	1. Panel reports on the following draft RSSs have been published.
	
		
			   Panel r eport 
			 North East August 2006 
			 North West May 2007 
			 Yorkshire and Humber May 2007 
			 East Midlands November 2007 
			 West Midlands Phase 1 April 2007 
			 East of England June 2006 
			 South East August 2007 
		
	
	2. Panel reports on the following draft RSSs are expected.
	
		
			   Panel r eport 
			 West Midlands Phase 2 December 2008 
			 South West January 2008 
		
	
	3. The proposed changes on the following draft RSSs have been published.
	
		
			   Proposed changes 
			 North East May 2007 
			 Yorkshire and Humber September 2007 
			 West Midlands Phase 1 September 2007 
			 East of England December 2006 
		
	
	4. The proposed changes on the following draft RSSs are expected.
	
		
			   Proposed changes 
			 North West January 2008 
			 East Midlands May 2008 
			 West Midlands Phase 2 February 2009 
			 South East February 2008 
			 South West May 2008 
		
	
	The Secretary of State considers the recommendations in the panel report and representations made on the draft RSS before publishing proposed changes, which are then subject to further consultation before being finalised.

Regional Planning and Development: Greenbelt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of dwellings that will be built on land  (a) designated and  (b) previously designated as green belt in (i) 2007 and (ii) each year under the proposed regional spatial strategies.

Iain Wright: Information on how many dwellings may be built on designated or previously-designated green belt land is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, decisions about the use of land which is designated as green belt, or whether land should be designated as green belt, must be taken in accordance with the policy in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 on green belts. This policy has performed an important role in preventing urban sprawl and protecting the countryside for 50 years. The Government remain committed to current green belt policy and has no intention of making fundamental changes to the policy. The Government are also committed to building at least 60 per cent. of new dwellings on previously-developed ("brownfield") land. In 2006 74 per cent. of new dwellings were built on previously-developed land, compared to 56 per cent. in 1997.

Departmental Responsibilities

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for which regulators and inspectorates her Department has had responsibility in each year since 1997; what the budget was of each such body in each year; and what the cost to the public purse was of any restructuring of each such body in each year.

Hazel Blears: The Department sponsors the following 'independent regulators' as identified by the Better Regulation Task Force in their report published on 1 October 2003: the Architects Registration Board, the Audit Commission, the Housing Corporation and the Standards Board for England. Details of these bodies' funding from Government and gross expenditure is set out in Cabinet Office's annual 'Public Bodies' directory and on the Department's website for 2007 at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/publicbodies2007
	The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) is an executive agency of this Department. PINS' annual report and accounts can be found at:
	http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk

Repairs and Maintenance: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average annual real terms change in the 2008-09 management and maintenance allowance would be required for the average allowance in England to reach the real terms level of management and maintenance expenditure set out in the estimate of the Need to Spend on Maintenance and Management in Local Authority Housing, published in June 2003 by 2010-11.

Iain Wright: The Department has not produced any sufficiently robust estimates of what average annual real terms change in the 2008-09 management and maintenance allowance would be required for the average allowance in England to reach, by the Decent Homes target year 2010-11, the real terms level of management and maintenance expenditure set out in the estimate of the Need to Spend on Maintenance and Management in Local Authority Housing published in June 2003, but intends to undertake rigorous analysis on management and maintenance needed to be spent as part of the review of the HRA subsidy system.

Rough Sleepers

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent in each district/unitary authority in England on rough sleepers by  (a) central Government and  (b) local authorities in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Since 2003-04, the majority of our homelessness grants are allocated to local authorities to support them in their work on tackling and preventing homelessness effectively which includes rough sleeping. Previous to that time the majority of funding was allocated direct to the voluntary sector. We do however continue to provide homelessness funding direct to some voluntary organisations, where appropriate.
	All local authority homelessness grants are allocated to individual councils and it is for them to determine how they spend this grant.
	The Supporting People Programme, which came into effect on 1 April 2003, allocates grant to administering authorities whom, in accordance with Supporting People grant conditions, decide how they spend this grant based on their knowledge of local need.
	The following table indicates the total amount of revenue funding allocated to local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle homelessness in each of the five years. The individual local authority homelessness grant allocations are available in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Homelessness grant for local authorities and voluntary sector 
			   Total (£ million) 
			 2003-04 70.9 
			 2004-05 60.6 
			 2005-06 59.5 
			 2006-07 67.0 
			 2007-08 74.0 
		
	
	I have deposited in the Library of the House a table of the revenue funding administrative authorities spent on rough sleeping under the Supporting People Programme.
	On 5 December, we announced homelessness grant funding of at least £150 million over the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11 to continue to support local authorities to tackle and prevent homelessness in their area. This a 6 per cent. increase on the current year.
	In addition to the homelessness grants, £90 million has been made available to authorities under the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme in the last three years to improve hostels and day centres used by rough sleepers. We announced a new £70 million three year Places of Change Programme on 13 November which builds upon the success of the £90 million 2005-08 Hostels Capital Improvement Programme.

Smoking

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any  (a) Ministers and  (b) staff have been disciplined for breaching the public smoking ban on her Department's premises, and the premises of its agencies, since its coming into force.

Parmjit Dhanda: No Department for Communities and Local Government staff or Ministers have been disciplined for breaching the public smoking ban on departmental or departmental agency premises.

Social Services: Elderly

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authority social services departments on the acceptability of strip washing for elderly people where disabled facility grants cannot cover all of the demands for shower and other adaptations; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In November 2004 Communities and Local Government issued "Delivering Housing Adaptations for Disabled People: A Good Practice Guide". The guidance advises that the provision of a lavatory and washing, bathing and showering facilities have been separated in order to clarify that a disabled or elderly person should have access to a washbasin, a WC and a shower or bath (or if more appropriate, both a shower and a bath) (The Housing Grants Construction and Renewal Act, chapter 53, part 1, section 23(1) (e) to (g)). Therefore a disabled facilities grant should be given to provide a disabled or older person with each of these facilities. The grant is subject to an assessment of the person's needs and a means test.
	Chapter 5 of CLG's guidance covers the assessment of need for adaptations, and refers to Department of Health guidance for general principles of assessment for social care for adults.

Standards Board: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what yearly financial savings the Standards Board is expected to make from its relocation from London to Manchester.

John Healey: The Standards Board has identified that, as a consequence of its relocation from London to Manchester, savings will be made of £847,000 in 2008-09, £1,267,000 in 2009-10 and £1,353,000 thereafter.

Trade Unions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings  (a) she and  (b) Ministers in her Department has had with representatives of trades unions in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: Details of meetings between Ministers and outside interest groups, including trade unions, are provided on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/freedom-of-information/Disclosure-iog/

Urban Areas: Recreation Spaces

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department provides on how much public green space should be available per head of population in urban areas.

Iain Wright: Guidance on the provision of public green space is set out in planning policy guidance note 17 (PPG17) "Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation" (2002). Government policy is that open space standards, including standards for public green space as well as other types of open space, should be set locally since prescriptive national standards cannot cater for local circumstances such as differing demographic profiles and the extent of existing built development in an area. Local planning authorities should therefore undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for all forms of open space, sports and recreational facilities and audits of their existing open space and facilities. These can then be used to set appropriate local standards in development plans. Guidance on undertaking assessments and audits and deriving local standards is set out in "Assessing Needs and Opportunities: A Companion Guide to PPG17", published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2002.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to introduce the EU's Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas funding mechanism in England.

John Healey: My Department would support use of the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) instrument in English regions where regional partners wish to use European Regional Development Fund resources innovatively.
	The regional development agencies have all made provision for its use over the 2007-13 spending period. But it is too early to expect finished proposals and there remain a number of questions about the application of JESSICA. EU member states are working with the European Commission and European Investment Bank (EIB) to clarify these questions, including through discussion of specific RDA proposals. For example, the EIB has, by agreement, commissioned a feasibility study for London.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will publish the criteria she will use to assess which proposals for eco-towns will be taken forward.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 17 December 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 882W, to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten).

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) presentation and  (b) handouts, produced by the Valuation Office Agency on Automated Valuation Models presented at the National Rating Day in June.

John Healey: I have deposited a copy of the presentation, which was also provided as a handout, in the Library of the House.

Voluntary Organisations: Finance

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's budget has been for supporting voluntary community organisations in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The total departmental budget comprises support from specific programmes in addition to support through generic schemes such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and Supporting People. The level of support through these programmes for the voluntary and community sector is not held centrally. We are working with the Office of the Third Sector to improve reporting on this funding support as part of the comprehensive spending review commitment to produce an annual report to Parliament.
	We estimate that our specific funding programmes for the voluntary and community sector over the last five years have provided support totalling:
	
		
			   Estimated total (£ million) 
			 2003-04 21.5 
			 2004-05 26.5 
			 2005-06 29.5 
			 2006-07 32.5 
			 2007-08 29.5

Water Supply: Safety

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in her Department's plans to improve hot water safety by reviewing Part G of the Building Regulations.

Iain Wright: Since announcing our intention in June 2007 to review the scope for improving all aspects of hot water safety in Part G of the Building Regulations we have held meetings with key stakeholders in London, Taunton and Doncaster and have held the first meeting of a Building Regulations Advisory Committee Working Group. This group includes experts on hot water systems and will advise on how new requirements can best be introduced and on the content of the accompanying guidance (the Approved Document). We expect to launch a full public consultation on the draft amendments to the Building Regulations and the revised supporting guidance in spring 2008 with a view to fully implementing the new requirements in April 2009.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by her Department and its predecessors  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by her Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: The numbers of individuals aged between 16 and 18 employed by the Department in each complete year since the formation of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2002 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of 16 to 18-year-olds joining the Department 
			   (a) directly  (b) through a recruitment agency 
			 2006 0 3 
			 2005 1 0 
			 2004 1 0 
			 2003 2 0 
		
	
	On joining the Department all new entrants have an induction meeting at which they are told about the corporately funded training that is offered such as the welcome event. In addition each directorate holds a training budget and line managers take responsibility to ensure that their staff receive training in order to carry out their tasks and for developmental purposes.

Youth Services: Finance

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of double-damping on funding for children and young adult services in the City of Sunderland; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: In the course of this summer's consultation on options for changing the Formula Grant distribution system, we published illustrations of what each council's level of grant in 2007-08 would have been if neither grant floor damping nor social services formula damping had been applied. This illustration showed Sunderland's grant would have been 2.4 per cent. higher, in the absence of formula damping but before overall grant floors damping.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what studies have been completed by the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit into the UK reconstruction in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The Stabilisation Unit, formerly known as the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit (PCRU), has completed two studies focused on the UK reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq. In November 2006, the Unit led a review of the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Helmand and Basra. In August 2007, the Unit undertook a case study review of the planning for and execution of the Helmand PRT deployment.

Africa: Security

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are under consideration to improve the security situation in the north west region of the Central African Republic and Chad.

Meg Munn: We are very concerned about the continuing security and humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic and Chad. In response the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1778 (2007), which authorises the deployment of a European security and defence police force and a UN multidimensional mission to Chad and the north-east of the Central African Republic. The overall aim of the joint operation is to create the conditions necessary for voluntary, secure and sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons. The mission is planned to deploy in early 2008.
	The UK has also supported the extension of the mandate of the UN Peace-Building Office in the Central African Republic. Its aim is to assist the government of the Central African Republic in consolidating peace and national reconciliation and strengthening democratic institutions. In addition, the UK supports the multinational force of Central Africa which has bases in the north-west of the Central African Republic and whose mandate is to contribute to the restoration of peace and security in the Central African Republic.
	In the medium term, a national security seminar on the Central African Republic, organised by the government of the Central African Republic and the UN Development Programme, is due to be held in March 2008. We hope this will set out a road-map for security sector reform, including of the police, army and prisons. The EU will then play an important role in co-ordinating the agreed reforms.

Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his Department in each year since 2000; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result.

Meg Munn: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code".
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	In addition, offsetting the flights of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for International Development and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005, and in the case of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to the calendar year 2004.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http:www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many air miles were travelled by  (a) him and  (b) Ministers in his Department on short haul flights over the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result of these flights.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today (UIN 172237).

Bangladesh: Entry Clearances

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the working holidaymaker scheme is available to applicants from Bangladesh.

Jim Murphy: The working holidaymaker scheme is available to applicants from Bangladesh, having been re-introduced on 1 August 2007, following a temporary suspension.

Bangladesh: Entry Clearances

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requirements for medical screening are being applied to visa applicants from Bangladesh.

Jim Murphy: Applicants from certain countries, including Bangladesh, applying for a visa with more than six months validity, now require a certificate to show that they are free from infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).
	Certificates are not required for children under 11-years-old, diplomats and their families, this exemption does not include other members of diplomats' households such as domestic staff, or returning residents.

Burma: Constitutions

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made to the Burmese authorities on the inclusion of members of the opposition and other democratic and ethnic minority leaders in the process of drafting a national constitution.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and I have repeatedly made clear our support for Aung San Suu Kyi's statement of 8 November calling for a genuine national reconciliation including the military, opposition parties and ethnic groups in Burma.
	I underlined this point in my speech to the European Union/Association of South East Asian Nations Summit of 22 November, at which Burma was represented.
	Our ambassador in Rangoon regularly presses the case for progress on democratic change in Burma. His most recent representation to the Burmese Foreign Ministry was on 11 December.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff work in his Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Parliamentary Relations Team consists of 11 officials. The team, managed by a head and deputy head, is split into two sections, 'Floor of the House' section, five officials, and 'Select Committee' section, four officials. Parliamentary questions are estimated to take up 75 per cent. of the floor of the house section.
	A separate Ministerial Support Unit, 13 officials, deals with correspondence from hon. Members, Peers and members of the public.

Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other Council of Europe member states on the Secretary-General's proposals on secret detention and detainee transfers; what his position is on the future discussion of these proposals by the Committee of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Discussions in the Committee of Ministers and between delegations to the Council of Europe on the Secretary-General's recommendations are ongoing. However, the Government believe that domestic legislation and international legal instruments already exist to deal satisfactorily with the concerns he has raised.

Diplomatic Service

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether plans have been developed for future closures of  (a) embassies,  (b) consulates and  (c) British High Commissions in the financial years (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no plans to close any Posts in the financial years 2008-09 to 2011-12.
	We continue to manage the FCO's overseas network to reflect changing demands and challenges, ensuring that our resources are aligned with our priorities, and that the UK has a cost-effective and flexible network of overseas representation.

EU Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the latest dates are by which each member state is required to ratify the draft EU Reform Treaty, according to their constitutional requirements, to allow it to enter into force by June 2009.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The Lisbon treaty will enter into force on the first day of the month following the deposit of the instrument of ratification by the last signatory state to take this step, and not before 1 January 2009.

Instrument of Pre-Accession

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 567-8W, on The Instrument of Pre-Accession, what criteria have been used in determining the level of financial assistance allocated within the Instrument to  (a) Bosnia-Herzegovina,  (b) Serbia and  (c) Croatia in each financial year from 2007 to 2010.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	The criteria used in allocating funding under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) include:
	The Commission's commitment to ensure that no country will receive less funding under IPA in 2007 than they did in 2006 under previous instruments;
	Capacity of the beneficiary government to absorb the funding allocated, including implementation of the necessary systems for management of funds; and
	Per capita allocations.
	For pre-candidate countries in the Western Balkans such as Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the allocations will increase to reach €23 per capita (in 2004 prices) by 2010. As candidate countries, Croatia and Macedonia will receive at least €30 per capita by 2008.
	Further detail on the allocations and the criteria used is set out in the 2009-11 Multi-Annual Indicative Financial Framework, which is available at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2007/nov/miff_en.pdf

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 562W, on Iran: nuclear power, what decisions have been made about the publication of the report by the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy on discussions with Iran.

David Miliband: Javier Solana made clear to the media following his discussions with Sa'id Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, that he had been disappointed with his discussions. A representative of Dr. Solana reported orally to E3 plus 3 Political Directors on his behalf on 1 December, and confirmed that he was not able to conclude that his talks had led to a "positive outcome", which was the test set in the statement from E3 plus 3 Foreign Ministers in New York on 28 September 2007. Dr. Solana does not plan to submit a written report.

Iran: USA

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of violations of Iranian airspace by US airforce fighter jets around Khorramshahr on 13 November; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have not received any reports of violations of Iranian airspace by US fighter jets around Khorramshahr on 13 November, although we are aware of media reports that similar incidents occurred twice in 2004.

Iraq Neighbours Conference

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1054-55W, on Iraq Neighbours Conference, whether dates have been set for the next meeting of the working groups on  (a) energy,  (b) security and  (c) refugees.

David Miliband: Dates have not yet been set for the next meetings of the Iraq Neighbours Working Groups.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will provide a substantive response to the letter of 30 October 2007 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on the EU Treaty.

Meg Munn: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member. A reply was sent on 18 December.

Palestinians: West Bank

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects on Palestinians of the restrictions on movement within the West Bank.

Jim Murphy: The ability of Palestinians to move within the west bank has deteriorated due to continued or increased use of: checkpoints; curfews; roadblocks; a permit system; and the barrier. Permit and checkpoint restrictions have isolated residents of the west bank from East Jerusalem and from each other. In September 2007, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 563 obstacles were present in the west bank.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about movement and access issues with his Israeli interlocutors during his recent visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories from 17 to 19 November. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development also raised our concerns on this issue during his meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak in Israel on 10 December.
	The implementation of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access stalled following the election of Hamas in January 2006. We continue to call on both parties to implement the agreement. We have repeatedly raised our concerns about movement and access issues with the Government of Israel.

Papua: Human Rights

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian government on the seven West Papuans arrested for raising the Morning Star flag in the Catholic church compound at Kwamki Baru village, Timika, West Papua on 1st December; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made representations on this case. Flying the Papuan national "Morning Star" flag is currently illegal under Indonesian law. Special Autonomy legislation allows for the use of Papuan symbols and anthems but the local legislation that is required to confirm the chosen symbols and anthems has yet to be passed. The UK supports the territorial integrity of Indonesia and therefore does not support independence for Papua.

Papua: Politics and Government

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in West Papua, with particular reference to  (a) human rights,  (b) press freedom and  (c) the independence of the judiciary there.

Meg Munn: We are aware of reports of human rights abuses in Papua, but the isolated nature of some areas of Papua makes it difficult to establish a clear picture. However, we investigate any credible reports of human rights abuses in Papua. Our Embassy in Jakarta regularly discusses human rights issues, including in Papua, with the Indonesian government.
	We encourage the Indonesian Government to allow access to Papua for the media. We were therefore pleased that the BBC correspondent based in Jakarta was given permission to visit Papua in September this year. We will continue to press the authorities to permit other journalists to visit. We recognise that, overall, Indonesia has a flourishing free media and an increasingly liberal and plural political environment.
	We have a general concern about corruption in Indonesia, particularly in the judiciary. The Indonesian government is committed to addressing the issue and has made some progress in tackling the problem. In December 2003, it established the Corruption Eradication Commission to investigate and tackle corruption past and present. We continue to work with the Indonesian government in order to promote good governance.

Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific processes the Government are proposing to ensure that reconstruction follows peacekeeping as referred to in the Prime Minister's Mansion House speech of 12 November; and how these proposals will be taken forward.

David Miliband: For reconstruction to follow peacekeeping, UN peace support operations need to be more integrated. UN bodies and other international agencies need to work towards common strategic interests and behind a common operations plan. The Peacebuilding Commission was established in 2005 as an advisory body to direct this integrated approach. The UK plays a key role in it. The international community also needs to have the right capabilities at its disposal and the procedure and funding in place to be able to deploy them quickly. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister proposed as a starting point that UN Security Council Resolutions should not just mandate and direct the peacekeeping response to a given conflict, but also the longer term peace-building effort. He also proposed enhancing international capacity through a standby mechanism to deploy civilian reconstruction experts quickly.

Peacekeeping Operations: Private Sector

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to bring forward legislation to regulate the private military and security company industry; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: In late 2004 the then Foreign Secretary my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) launched a review of the options for the regulation of the overseas operations of private military and security companies (PMSCs) registered in or operating from the United Kingdom. This was to follow up on the Green Paper of 2002, 'Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation' and to respond to the increase in activities of PMSCs in areas of conflict overseas.
	The review was completed in mid 2005 and suggested a number of ways in which the industry could be regulated. The review also highlighted complex issues, particularly round the definition of what activities should be regulated and how any regulations would be enforced. These issues, along with the options for regulation, continue to be the subject of ministerial correspondence and official consultation. The Government have undertaken to keep Parliament fully informed of its proposals in this area. If it is agreed that regulation is appropriate, the Government will put the proposals to public consultation.

Peacekeeping Operations: Private Sector

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rules govern the use of force by private military security companies employed by the Government; whether these rules are standardised for all Government contracts or are variable on a case-by-case basis; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Private military and security companies employed by the Government operate according to strict rules of engagement and security operating procedures. The details of these rules of engagement, which are embedded within the contracts between the Government and the contractors involved, are kept undisclosed due to their sensitive nature, as public disclosure could be detrimental to operational security. In addition, Annex A to Coalition Provisional Authority Memorandum Number 17 (available in the Library of the House) sets out binding rules on the use of force which apply to all private security companies in Iraq, which form part of their security operating procedures.

Peacekeeping Operations: Private Sector

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1059-60W, on peacekeeping operations: private sector, whether his Department has concluded a formal study of the services provided to the Government by private military security companies in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The implementation of the procedures for individual contracts is monitored closely and subject to revision when appropriate. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reviews areas of its work in which private military and security companies (PMSCs) are involved in. Given the range of PMSC contracts, the FCO has not conducted a formal study grouping all such contracts together.

Russia: CFE Treaty

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of Russia's decision to suspend the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty; whether he has discussed this issue with  (a) Russian and  (b) US counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 13 December,  Official Report, columns 57-58WS, about Russia's "suspension" of its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. We believe the concerns expressed by Russia would be addressed by entry into force of the adapted CFE treaty. We have pursued constructive proposals for parallel action by states parties, including North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies and Russia, to overcome the outstanding issues related to ratification of the adapted treaty. Along with our NATO allies, we will continue to promote engagement with Russia to that end.

Russia: CFE Treaty

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the Russian decision to suspend its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe as of 12 December.

Jim Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 57-58WS.

Russia: Elections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Russian counterpart on the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights' ability to observe the upcoming presidential election in that country, in April 2008, without restrictions and in accordance with established practice.

Jim Murphy: The Government strongly encourage the Russian Federation to invite the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observers to the March presidential election without restrictions. I made the following statement at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting in Madrid on 29 to 30 November, which Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attended.
	"We hope that all states will honour their commitments and enable ODIHR to observe upcoming elections in full accordance with OSCE commitments and established practice, including by enabling long term observation if ODIHR judges that to be appropriate".
	The presidency of the EU made a statement on behalf of all EU member states on the same lines.

Russia: Moldova

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the progress by Russia towards commitments made at the 1999 Istanbul summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe for withdrawal of Russian military forces from Moldova and Georgia.

Jim Murphy: The Russian Federation recently completed its withdrawal from the bases at Batumi and Akhalk'alak'i in Georgia. Only the status and future use of the Gudauta base remain unresolved. In Moldova, however, there has been no progress since 2004 on the withdrawal of remaining Russian Federation forces and ammunition from Transnistria.
	The written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 57-58WS made clear that, with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, we look to the Russian Federation to regularise the status of its remaining forces in Moldova and Georgia. The principle that host nation consent is required for the stationing of foreign forces is central to European security. With NATO allies, we continue to promote engagement with the Russian Federation with a view to reaching an agreed way forward.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what decisions were reached at the EU-Africa summit on the deployment of the joint AU-UN force to Darfur; which African countries have offered to contribute troops to the force; what the African Union's position is on whether non-African troops are required to provide an effective peacekeeping force; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Representatives of the Government of Sudan and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations discussed the African Union (AU)/UN hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) deployment at the EU-Africa summit in Lisbon on 8 December. The press statement released after the meeting noted that both sides agreed on the importance of the full and timely implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1769 and agreed to continue their discussions to resolve outstanding issues. Follow-up talks have taken place in Khartoum and we are awaiting a report from the UN on their outcome. Meanwhile, we have continued to press the Government of Sudan to co-operate fully with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and AU on UNAMID deployment.
	The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations received offers of troops from a number of African countries and has conducted pre-deployment assessments. The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations has not yet announced the final force composition of UNAMID. The AU and UN agreed that UNAMID should be 'predominantly African' in character. This allows for non-African troop contributions, particularly where specific capabilities are required. We are pressing the AU and UN to choose the best troops for the mission, irrespective of nationality.

Uganda: Elections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the European Union are taking to implement the recommendations of the European Union and Commonwealth Election Observers in Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Government have been actively involved in efforts to bring about improvements to Uganda's democratic system. The UK is the largest donor to the Deepening Democracy Programme basket-fund and currently chairs its Steering Committee. The programme forms the cornerstone of international donors' (Partners for Democracy Group—PDG) efforts to address failings in the democratic processes of Uganda. The PDG, which has a wide-ranging membership, including resident EU ambassadors, actively raises governance and democracy concerns at a high level with the Government of Uganda. The European Union recently supported a Ugandan Parliament-led workshop to address reforms recommended by the European Union and Commonwealth Election Observers following the 2006 Ugandan elections.

Zimbabwe: Sanctions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether at the recent EU-Africa summit the African Union proposed the EU end all sanctions against Zimbabwe as a condition for signing new trade deals; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: No such proposal was made.
	It is the responsibility of EU member states to consider the lifting of sanctions in their working groups in Brussels. These meetings focus on whether the lift criteria laid down in the common position has been met. Zimbabwe is still a long way from meeting these lift criteria.

Zimbabwe: Sanctions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bank accounts are affected by economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: 43 bank accounts in the UK are frozen under EU targeted measures against the Zimbabwe regime. EU member states do not systematically share detailed information concerning the bank accounts they have frozen.

HEALTH

Lucentis

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued on the prescribing of Lucentis; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have not issued any guidance on the prescribing of Lucentis.
	Lucentis is licensed for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and there are no national restrictions on the prescribing of this drug within its licensed indications.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising Lucentis and Macugen for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and expects to publish final guidance in the new year.
	In the absence of NICE guidance, primary care trusts are expected to make their own decisions on the funding of specific treatments based on an assessment of the available evidence.

Prescription Charges Exemption: Cystic Fibrosis

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will exempt from prescription charges people with cystic fibrosis.

Dawn Primarolo: We will be inviting views shortly on options for possible changes to prescription charges in England that are cost neutral to the national health service.

Hospitals: Cleaning

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to make hospitals cleaner since 1997.

Ann Keen: The NHS Plan in 2000 set hospital cleanliness as one of the top ten issues for the NHS; investment and initiatives since then have meant that spend on cleaning by the NHS has increased by over £250 million to £662 million in 2006-07. Hospital cleanliness remains of utmost importance for the Government, and this is reflected by its inclusion as a national priority for the NHS in the Operating Framework for 2008-09. In addition, this year every hospital will undergo a deep clean, supported by £57 million of investment by strategic health authorities (SHAs).

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects that cardiac rehabilitation will be offered to at least 85 per cent. of heart attack and re-vascularisation patients in accordance with the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease 2000.

Ann Keen: Chapter Seven of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease issued appropriate guidance to the national health services regarding the provision of cardiac rehabilitation services. Implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local NHS, working in partnership with stakeholders and the local community. It is for NHS organisations to plan and develop services based on their specific local knowledge and expertise.

Social Care: Long-Term Funding

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future long-term funding of the social care system.

Ivan Lewis: At the pre-Budget report 2007, the Government announced that it would be producing a Green Paper on "Reforming the Care and Support System".
	The Green Paper is an opportunity to develop a new offer focusing on people who use services, giving individuals more personal choice and control.

Stroke Services

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve early access to stroke services.

Ann Keen: On 5 December the Department launched a new strategy for stroke services in England which sets a vision for transforming stroke care.
	The strategy aims to accelerate the emergency response to stroke, by setting out a framework for care of stroke patients, and raising awareness about symptoms and risk factors. By following the guidelines, up to 6,800 deaths and cases of disability could be avoided. A further 1,600 strokes could be averted through preventative work.

Health Inequalities

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce health inequalities in England.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's health inequalities strategy 'Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action', supports the 2010 national health inequalities targets for infant mortality and life expectancy at birth, and long-term, sustainable, reductions in health inequalities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced, in September 2007, a comprehensive strategy for reducing health inequalities which will be published in 2008.

Primary Care Trusts: Rural Proofing

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that rural proofing is carried out by primary care trusts in rural areas.

Dawn Primarolo: Primary care trusts (PCTs), together with local authorities (LAs), are responsible for ensuring that priorities are delivered in a way that ensures equity of service provision when commissioning services for their local area. This includes taking into account rural issues where appropriate.

Smoking Ban: Effectiveness

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the ban on smoking in public places for public health.

Dawn Primarolo: We have commissioned research on the health impacts of smokefree legislation in England. However, early assessments are that this legislation is proving to be effective in significantly reducing levels of second hand smoke in enclosed public places and workplaces.
	Research from Scotland has reported a range of benefits since smokefree legislation was introduced there, including dramatic improvements in air quality in pubs, improved health, reduced tobacco consumption and no increase in the amount of smoking in the home.

Patient Satisfaction

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has commissioned into levels of patient satisfaction with the NHS.

Ann Keen: The Government have one of the world's most comprehensive programmes of patient surveys, including the national patient survey, GP patient survey, Choice survey and NHS staff survey. This research tells us what people think about the care and treatment they have experienced, and is an essential part of improving services.

Parliamentary Questions

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Westminster Hall debate of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 58-66WH, what steps he is taking to ensure that people in the East Midlands receive timely treatment for age-related macular degeneration.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has already recommended the use of photodynamic therapy for treating wet age-related macular degeneration in some patients, and all PCTs are funding this treatment in accordance with its guidance.
	NICE is currently carrying out an appraisal of Lucentis and Macugen and expects to publish final guidance in the new year. NICE published draft guidance on 14 December which is now subject to consultation with stakeholders.
	Where NICE has not issued guidance, PCTs are expected to make their own decisions on the funding of specific treatments based on an assessment of the available evidence.
	East Midlands SHA reports that the East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group has a region-wide policy in which there are guidelines on whether patients are eligible based on their visual acuity. Decisions on which patients will be funded for treatment are taken at individual PCT level.

Ovarian Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to include ovarian cancer in the awareness and early diagnosis programme announced in the Cancer Reform Strategy.

Ann Keen: We are committed to reducing cancer deaths. Key to this is early diagnosis. As confirmed by the National Clinical Director for Cancer at the Britain against Cancer conference on 4 December, we will be including ovarian cancer in the national awareness and early diagnosis initiative described in the strategy.

Liver Disease

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on a national plan for liver services; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We are concerned about the increasing incidence of and mortality from liver disease. We are investigating the possibility of developing a strategy for liver disease, which would cover health promotion as well as the full range of health services.
	In working up proposals, officials have reviewed the available evidence and taken advice from a range of stakeholders. A number have referred to the National Plan for Liver Services produced in 2004 by professional bodies.

Abortion

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has he  (a) initiated and  (b) evaluated on the practice of female foeticide.

Dawn Primarolo: None.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will place a copy of the interim report produced by his Department on aspects of good practice for a model of future services for access to early abortion in the Library; to whom copies have been sent; at what cost; how much it cost to produce the report; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to implement section 1(3A) of the Abortion Act 1967; what definition his Department uses of non-traditional settings for termination of pregnancy; what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the medical profession and  (b) primary care trusts on implementation of this section; what follow-up care he proposes to make available to women who receive treatment under this section; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Two hospitals are currently being funded by the Department to run early medical abortion services in non-traditional settings to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of provision in these settings.
	The pilots will establish a clearly defined protocol, describing the elements required for the provision of a safe, early medical abortion service in a non-traditional setting, which will include the after care women should receive. A non-traditional setting is defined as any setting that is not a national health service hospital or an approved independent sector place.
	On 24 October 2007 I stated in oral evidence to the Science and Technology Committee inquiry into scientific developments relating to the Abortion Act 1967 that the response from these two pilots will be published early next year. We will consider the results carefully before reaching a decision on what a non-traditional setting might be.
	We have not had any discussions with the medical profession or primary care trusts and are still in the process of agreeing the people who will review the final evaluation report.
	The total cost of the evaluation of the early medical abortion pilots over a two year period 2006-07 and 2007-08 was £94,335.42.

Accidents: Eyesight

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS arising from injuries which occur due to poor eyesight.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on the number of injuries caused by poor eyesight and has made no estimate of annual cost to the national health service. The Health Survey for England 2005 looked at falls in people aged 65 and over. The survey did not identify poor eyesight as a significant factor in falls.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England.

Dawn Primarolo: Since the publication of the 'Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England' (2004), a copy of which is available in the Library, significant progress has been made: of the 41 actions in the 2004 strategy, 26 have been delivered and a further 14 are under way. For example, an agreement between the Government and the alcohol industry to include unit content and daily guidelines advice on alcohol labels was announced in May 2007. In addition, levels of alcohol-related violent crime and offences and sales of alcohol to under-age drinkers have fallen.
	In June 2007 the Government introduced a renewed alcohol strategy 'Safe, Sensible, Social', a copy of which is available in the Library, that included a summary review of the 2004 alcohol harm reduction strategy (Annex C). 'Safe, Sensible, Social' is a comprehensive strategy to tackle the health and social effects of harmful drinking across the board and focuses on 18 to 24-year-old binge drinkers, young people under 18 who drink alcohol and adult harmful drinkers.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals aged 11 to 18 years resident in each  (a) London borough and  (b) Government region were treated for alcohol-related health problems in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the following tables:
	
		
			  All diagnoses count of finished admission episodes by London local authority district of residence for patients aged 11-18 for selected ( 1) alcohol related diseases , a ge at start of episode 11-18 , n ational  h ealth  s ervice  h ospitals, England—2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  London local authority district of residence  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barking and Dagenham 7 19 25 13 28 
			 Barnet 15 20 13 30 40 
			 Bexley 11 15 37 38 41 
			 Brent (1)? (1)? (1)? 11 16 
			 Bromley 9 11 36 35 50 
			 Camden 11 11 16 17 29 
			 Croydon 32 22 32 47 49 
			 Ealing 23 21 29 18 23 
			 Enfield 12 15 21 19 36 
			 Greenwich 11 14 16 27 31 
			 Hackney 9 9 11 (1)? 21 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham (1)? 8 16 22 17 
			 Haringey 10 15 8 15 24 
			 Harrow 10 7 7 9 10 
			 Havering 14 21 31 17 32 
			 Hillingdon 20 11 31 42 43 
			 Hounslow 15 10 17 16 42 
			 Islington 8 23 23 17 22 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 7 7 (1)? (1)? 13 
			 Kingston upon Thames 29 28 35 28 31 
			 Lambeth 20 15 11 26 21 
			 Lewisham 9 14 22 16 25 
			 Merton 13 21 29 26 29 
			 Newham 9 11 10 9 7 
			 Redbridge 14 18 16 17 22 
			 Richmond upon Thames 15 17 20 18 27 
			 Southwark 16 17 14 11 8 
			 Sutton 37 49 38 38 36 
			 Tower Hamlets 6 6 12 15 18 
			 Waltham Forest 13 9 18 12 20 
			 Wandsworth 18 28 20 20 28 
			 Westminster (1)? (1)? 6 7 14 
			 London Local Authority District of Residence  
			 Total 433 501 629 641 853 
			 (1 )Alcohol related diseases defined by the following ICD-10 codes: F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70: Alcoholic liver disease T51: Toxic effect of alcohol 
		
	
	
		
			  All diagnoses count of finished admission episodes by Government Office Region of residence for patients aged 11-18 for selected( 1) alcohol related diseases , a ge at  start of episode  11-18 ,  NHS Hospitals, England 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Government Office Region of Residence  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 North East 752 639 601 759 918 
			 Northwest 1,500 1,484 1,706 1,985 2,330 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 917 865 966 1,012 1,068 
			 East Midlands 622 547 576 659 705 
			 West Midlands 785 732 906 908 1,190 
			 East of England 549 530 613 648 627 
			 London 433 501 631 646 855 
			 South East 1,041 957 1,154 1,355 1,499 
			 Southwest 666 683 865 909 1,148 
			 Scotland( 2) 5 10 11 4 14 
			 Wales(2) 39 32 28 28 47 
			 Northern Ireland 2   1 3 
			 Foreign in(2)c. Channel Isles and Isle of Man(2) 11 12 16 18 20 
			 No fixed abode 23 30 41 56 80 
			 Not known 73 58 46 56 88 
			 England 7,418 7,080 8,160 9,044 10,592 
			 (1 )Alcohol related diseases defined by the following ICD-10 codes: F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70: Alcoholic liver disease T51: Toxic effect of alcohol  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care

Ambulance Services: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects every ambulance serving South Lakeland to be equipped with a 12 lead electrocardiogram machine.

Ann Keen: The information is not held centrally.

Ambulance Services: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the North West Ambulance Service expects to be able to provide at least one fully trained paramedic in addition to a driver on each ambulance serving the South Lakeland area.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. However, the North West Ambulance Service Trust may be able to provide this information direct.

Ankylosing Spondylitis: Medical Treatments

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what processes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has in place to ensure that the issuing of final guidance on the two anti-TNF treatments for ankylosing spondylitis it has recommended is not affected by appeals relating to the one anti-TNF treatment in that class that was rejected; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will not publish final guidance on adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis until any appeals it has received have been heard. The closing date for appeals was 23 November and no appeals have yet been announced.
	Funding for licensed treatments should not be withheld because guidance from NICE is unavailable. In December 2006, we issued refreshed good practice guidance which asks national health service bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the treatment or technology first becomes available.

Arthritis

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished episodes of care there were for patients with a  (a) primary diagnosis and  (b) secondary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: The total finished consultant episodes for patient with a primary and secondary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis are given in the following table.
	
		
			   Total finished consultant episodes for primary diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis( 1)  Total finished consultant episodes for primary and secondary diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis( 1) 
			 2005-06 49,982 134,862 
			 2004-05 49,402 122,275 
			 2003-04 47,298 113,269 
			 2002-03 42,232 103,220 
			 2001-02 34,269 88,416 
			 2000-01 33,445 85,341 
			 1999-2000 35,531 86,211 
			 1998-99 36,198 85,644 
			 1997-98 34,125 80,717 
			  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care

Biotechnology

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Joint Formulary Committee on biotechnology medicines with respect to biosimilars;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential risk to human health from adverse drug reactions arising from the interchange of innovator biological medicines with biosimilar medicines;
	(3)  if he will recommend that the British National Formulary designate biotechnology medicines as caution advised until research data demonstrate that they pose no risk to human health;
	(4)  if he will direct the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to require biosimilar medicines to carry a warning symbol until research demonstrate that they pose no risk to human health;
	(5)  what guidance is issued to  (a) clinicians and  (b) pharmacists on (i) the potential substitution risks associated with switching from innovator biological medicines to biosimilar medicines and (ii) the role of clinician choice in the prescription and dispensing of innovator biological medicines and biosimilar medicines;
	(6)  if he will take steps to ensure that biopharmaceutical products are prescribed uniquely by brand name rather than by international nonproprietary name;
	(7)  what measures are in place to ensure it is clear which adverse drug reaction arises as a result of the administration of which biopharmaceutical product.

Dawn Primarolo: An article will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) bulletin Drug Safety Update in early January, which will remind prescribers that it is important to assign adverse drug reactions to a specific named product when reporting adverse reactions associated with biosimilar medicines. The European guidelines for marketing authorisation holders—Volume 9A of "The Rules Governing Medicinal Products in the European Union Guidelines on Pharmacovigilance for Medicinal Products for Human Use" is currently being updated to include the following text in relation to reporting of adverse reactions to biosimilar products:
	"For adverse reaction reports relating to biological products, the definite identification of the product with regard to its manufacturing is of particular importance. Therefore, Marketing Authorisation Holders should give advice to reporters to provide the (invented) name of the medicinal product and the batch number and should follow up the reports where this information is missing for completion."
	A similar biological medicinal product (biosimilar) is one that is claimed to be similar to a reference biological medicinal product authorised in the European Union (EU). Because biosimilar medicines are not identical copies of reference products, subtle differences may exist which may make a difference to their effect or side effects when taken by patients. It is preferable, therefore, that when such products are prescribed they should be clearly identified and prescribed by brand name to ensure that patients receive the exact product prescribed and that their safety in use can be properly monitored.
	The MHRA encourages companies who manufacture generic copies of biopharmaceutical products (known as "biosimilar products") to give them a brand name so that there is no possibility that the pharmacist can substitute another biosimilar product when dispensing the doctor's prescription.
	MHRA has not issued a specific guideline to clinicians on substitution. All medicines, including biological medicines, should be prescribed by clinicians in accordance with the approved advice provided in the Summary of Product Characteristics which provides full information about the product, including its side effects and its use.
	The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's Professional standards and guidance for the sale and supply of medicines provides advice to pharmacists on switching from innovator biological medicines to biosimilar medicines and states that, except in an emergency, a specifically named product should not be substituted by any other product without the approval of the patient or carer and the prescriber, and in the case of hospital drugs, the approval of the therapeutics committee, or in line with other similar locally agreed protocols.
	All new medicines carry a black triangle symbol when they are first marketed in the United Kingdom. This denotes that the product is under intensive surveillance and this period usually lasts for two years in the first instance. All biosimilar products should also have in place at the time of licensing a full Risk Management Plan which describes what is known about the safety of a product and describes the activities required on behalf of the company to ensure that relevant safety information is collected in the post marketing period.
	The British National Formulary (BNF) includes biotechnology medicines that are licensed in the UK. The BNF usually reflects the safety information contained within the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) that relates to the product. Biosimilar products will be designated "Black Triangle" medicines and will carry the black triangle symbol in the BNF.
	The information contained in the BNF about a product can be different from information in the SPC when it is supported by reliable clinical evidence. The BNF takes advice on the information to include from expert clinical advisers and the BNF Joint Formulary Committee.
	All biosimilar products are assessed for safety, and the safety data are compared with that of the innovator biological medicinal product to which similarity is claimed, prior to its authorisation. It is also mandatory for the applicant to submit an appropriate risk management plan at the time of initial marketing authorisation application, which is assessed to ensure that it demonstrates that adequate arrangements are made for continued safety evaluation.

Breast Cancer: Humberside

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons breast screening waiting times in the Humberside breast screening area are beyond the three year target; and what plans there are to bring such waiting times within the target.

Ann Keen: The Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA) reports that in Humberside the age extension for breast screening, from 65 to 70 years, increased activity by over 30 per cent. As a result there has been an increase in the length of wait for breast screening locally.
	The Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust in partnership with the East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust is putting in place a number of actions to help improve the current situation. Details of these can be found in the trust's press release which has been issued. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.
	We take the issue of the 36-month standard between screens very seriously. That is why Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, wrote to the chief executives of all ten SHAs in England on 9 February 2007 highlighting the importance of maintaining the 36-month interval.

Cancer: Prescriptions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to provide free prescriptions for people with cancer in England.

Dawn Primarolo: People are entitled to free prescriptions in respect of a number of long-term medical conditions, if they hold a valid medical exemption certificate. Cancer is not one of these long-term conditions.
	The Government's review of prescription charges will be inviting views shortly on options for changes to prescription charges that are cost neutral to the national health service.

Cancer: Wigs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure NHS provision of wigs for those people with cancer who have opted for private chemotherapy and whose treatment does not include such provision.

Ann Keen: No examination has been carried out centrally.
	National health service wigs are provided on the basis of assessed clinical need regardless of whether the patient has received NHS or private treatment. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with other local stakeholders to assess the healthcare needs of the local population and commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of wigs.

Care Homes: Complaints

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of establishing an independent complaints body for self-funders and part-funders in care homes;
	(2)  what discussions he has had on the establishment of an independent complaints body for self-funders and part-funders in care homes.

Ivan Lewis: People who have their care part-funded by the local authority can complain through the local authority social services complaints procedure and, if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint, they can ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate.
	The issues relating to complaints by self-funders in care homes are currently under consideration, but there has not yet been any assessment of or consultation about the various options that might be available.

Care Homes: Foreign Workers

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of senior care workers from the Philippines working in care homes in England; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected by the Department of Health.

Childbirth

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births per whole-time equivalent NHS midwife there were in each year since 2001, broken down by primary care trust area.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the numbers of births per midwife in each strategic health authority (SHA) area.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Births in England per qualified midwifery staff by SHA area as at 30 September each specified year( 1) 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 31 31 32 32 32 33 
			  SHA area   
			 North East 25 26 28 28 28 29 
			 North West 25 24 26 25 26 27 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 30 29 30 30 29 33 
			 East Midlands 32 34 36 37 37 40 
			 West Midlands 29 29 29 30 31 32 
			 East of England 40 37 38 40 37 38 
			 London 37 38 37 37 36 36 
			 South East 37 36 37 36 36 37 
			 South Central 36 34 37 38 40 43 
			 South West 27 28 29 29 29 31 
			 (1) Births are for each calendar year. Total births includes live and still births.  Note: Figures are calculated on full-time equivalent numbers of midwives.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census. Annual Birth Statistics, Office for National Statistics.

Childbirth

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish information his Department holds on the effects of diet  (a) before and  (b) during pregnancy on the birth weight of babies.

Ann Keen: In 2000, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy in their report "Scientific Review of the Welfare Food Scheme" recommended that improving the dietary intake of women of childbearing age has the potential to ensure that nutritional status at conception is adequate to support optimum fetal development.
	Under the Healthy Start scheme, the Department currently provides nutritional support to low income and disadvantaged pregnant women and families with young children by offering vouchers to put towards the cost of buying milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables or infant formula at a participating retailer. Currently the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition—Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition is reviewing the effect of early maternal, fetal and child nutrition on the development of disease in later life. The report is due to be published by end of next year.

Childbirth: Finance

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of treating premature babies in the immediate post-natal period was in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: We do not collect this information centrally.

Chlamydia: Screening

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts are not reporting data on Chlamydia screening to the Health Protection Agency.

Dawn Primarolo: The primary care trusts (PCTs) not reporting data to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) at the end of September are given as follows. Although they have not reported screening figures to the HPA, screening has already commenced in some of these PCTs.
	 PCT n ame
	Havering
	Kingston
	Bromley
	Greenwich Teaching
	Barnet
	Hillingdon
	Barking and
	Dagenham
	Newham
	Bassetlaw
	Rotherham
	Ealing
	Barnsley
	Croydon
	Wandsworth
	Shropshire County
	Richmond and Twickenham
	Sutton and Merton
	Telford and Wrekin
	Wolverhampton City
	Derbyshire County
	Derby City
	Lincolnshire
	Redbridge
	Waltham Forest
	Northamptonshire
	Dudley
	North East Essex
	Oxfordshire
	Wiltshire
	Devon
	Bexley
	Sandwell
	 Source: HPA

Chlamydia: Screening

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 11 October 2007,  Official Report, column 705W, on Chlamydia infection: screening, what percentage of primary care trusts are participating in the Chlamydia screening programme in the latest period for which figures are available; and for what reasons  (a) Devon,  (b) Havering,  (c) Hillingdon and  (d) Sandwell had not submitted plans to the Health Protection Agency.

Dawn Primarolo: All primary care trusts (PCTs) now have a plan to start screening for Chlamydia, which have been submitted to the Heath Protection Agency.
	Devon, Hillingdon and Sandwell PCTs are now screening and Hillingdon PCT are now in the process of setting up a screening office and plan to start full roll out in April 2008.

Chlamydia: Screening

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 996W, on Chlamydia screening, what steps he is planning to take to meet the 15 per cent. screening target.

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many screens for Chlamydia were reported to the Health Protection Agency in  (a) the first quarter of 2007-08 and  (b) the second quarter of 2007-08; and what proportion of the target screening population this represents in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) have submitted plans to the Department on how they intend reaching the target. The Department and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) are working with the primary care trusts (PCTs) who are finding the target challenging.
	Information on the number of screens reported to the HPA is published in NHS Local Deliver Plan data monitoring line (PSA11d) (PCT) and (SHA) specific tables 1 April to 30 June and NHS Local Deliver Plan data monitoring line (PSA11d) PCT and SHA specific tables 1 July to 30 September, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

Chlamydia: Screening

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that implementation of the Chlamydia screening programme is included in the NHS operating framework.

Dawn Primarolo: The operating framework, published on 13 December, of which a copy is available in the Library and also at www.dh.gov.uk/operating framework, clarifies the health and services priorities for the year ahead.
	In relation to Chlamydia screening, the document specifically states that organisations need to sustain and build on the achievements already made, including delivery of existing standards. As part of this, it lists out those existing commitments that will continue to be monitored, one of which is the implementation of the Chlamydia screening programme.

Chlamydia: Screening

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 546-7W, on Chlamydia: screening, when he plans to have developed a national template for a Chlamydia screening local enhanced service through the community pharmacy contractual framework; and on what date he plans to publish the final evaluation of the Boots Chlamydia screening pathfinder.

Dawn Primarolo: We expect to have a national template for a service specification for Chlamydia screening from community pharmacies available early in 2008, if primary care trusts wish to commission an enhanced service.
	Two reports of the evaluation being undertaken by TNS Healthcare of the Boots Chlamydia pathfinder have already been published. They are Chlamydia screening evaluation—interim report wave one and Chlamydia screening evaluation—interim report wave two. Both reports are available in the Library. The third and final report will be published early in the new year.

CJD: Blood

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies are underway to assess the prevalence and incidence of asymptomatic carriers of vCJD amongst the population; when he expects these studies to be completed; and whether such studies will contribute to his Department's consideration of whether to introduce prion filtration to prevent the risk of contracting vCJD through blood transfusion.

Dawn Primarolo: On behalf of the Department, the Health Protection Agency is currently conducting a study of tonsils to assess the sub-clinical prevalence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (the National Anonymous Tonsil Archive, NATA), and is in the process of undertaking a feasibility pilot study of tissues from post mortems. The duration of NATA, which aims to select 100,000 tonsil pairs, is under continual review and depends upon the rate of accession of tonsils to the archive. Initial results from testing 45,000 tonsil pairs will be considered by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) on 14 December 2007. The duration and completion date of the post mortem study are dependent upon the rate at which samples can be obtained from post mortems. In respect of prion filtration, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) on 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1298W.

Commission for Social Care Inspection: Marketing

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the Commission for Social Care Inspection's total budget was spent on publications and marketing in the last period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: We are informed by the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection that the proportion of its total budget spent in the most recent financial year—1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007—on publications and marketing was 0.5 per cent. and 0.2 per cent. respectively.

Common Cold: Publicity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much his Department is spending on its Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign broken down by  (a) financial year and  (b) expenditure on (i) the launch event on 28 November, (ii) fees for producing the logo, name and other marketing materials, (iii) other fees to consultants, (iv) printing costs, (v) distribution costs, (vi) staff costs and (vii) other costs;
	(2)  which consultancy firms worked with his Department on its Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign; and when his Department started working with each firm;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the launch event for his Department's Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign on 28 November;
	(4)  what the total cost to the public purse is of the Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign, announced by his Department on 28 November; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Catch It, Bin It, Kill It campaign commenced on the 28 November with a wide range of activity, including public relations (PR), marketing and advertising. It will run through to March 2008.
	The fees paid to consultancy firms and suppliers are commercial in confidence and it is not appropriate for us to reveal them. The total cost is approximately £609,000. For each item there is an element of consultancy fees included within the cost, which is broken down as follows:
	the cost of advertising (including media) was £353,000;
	media relations cost £112,000;
	research costs were £92,000;
	distribution costs will be around £48,000 and
	the cost of printing 110,000 posters was £4,000.
	It would not be appropriate to identify the staff cost associated with the campaign.
	The Red Consultancy (PR Consultancy) was appointed to work on the Catch It PR campaign on 1 October 2007.
	Pre-campaign evaluation was undertaken in September 2007. Post-campaign evaluation will be undertaken in March 2008.

Community Nurses: Manpower

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community matrons were employed in Suffolk in each year since 2004; and how many were planned to be employed in each of those years.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the format requested. Community matrons were not separately identifiable until the 2005 Census.
	The following table shows community matrons in the Suffolk primary care trust area as at 30 September each specified year.
	
		
			  Suffolk PCT  Headcount 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 2 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Dental Services

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1114-6W, on dental services, what plans his Department has to increase the number of NHS orthodontists in the East of England Strategic Health Authority area.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to commission services, including orthodontics, to meet the needs of for the communities they serve.

Dental Services: Waiting Lists

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents of Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency are on the Cumbria Primary Care Trust's waiting list for NHS dentistry services.

Ann Keen: Information on numbers of people on waiting lists for national health service dentistry services is not collected centrally.

Dentistry: Finance

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in each deanery received funding under the National Co-ordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development's Walport scheme for  (a) academic clinical fellowships and  (b) academic clinical lectureships in each year since the scheme's inception; and what the figures represented as a proportion of the total number of clinicians that have received funding.

Ann Keen: holding answer 17 December 2007
	 The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Academic clinical fellowships 
			  Deanery  Dental school  Programme name  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Northern Newcastle Dental Clinical Specialties 1 1 1 1 1 
			  Newcastle Dental Primary Care 0 1 1 0 0 
			 
			 North West Manchester Orthodontics and Oral Surgery 0 1 1 0 0 
			 
			 London King's College Oral Surgery 0 1 1 1 1 
			   Orthodontics 0 1 0 0 1 
			  Queen Mary University of London Restorative Dentistry 1 0 0 1 0 
			 
			 Severn Bristol Dentistry (Restorative) 0 1 1 0 0 
			 
			 Total number of dentistry posts 2 5 4 3 3 
			 Total number of ACF posts 127 167 214 146 142 
			 Number of dentistry posts as percentage of total posts 2 3 2 2 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Clinical lectureships 
			  Deanery  Dental school  Programme name  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011 
			 Northern Newcastle Dental Clinical Specialties 1 0 1 0 1 0 
			  
			 North West Manchester Dentistry 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			  
			 London King's College Oral Surgery 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			  University College London Restorative Dentistry 0 1 1 0 0 0 
			  Queen Mary University of London Dentistry: Restorative 1 0 0 1 0 0 
			  
			 Total number of dentistry posts 3 3 3 2 2 2 
			 Total number of clinical lecturer posts 81 102 93 72 72 13 
			 Number of dentistry posts as percentage of total posts 4 3 3 3 3 15

Departmental Public Participation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on  (a) citizens' juries,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other deliberative forms of public opinion research in each month since January 2006.

Ann Keen: Data from January 2006 on the cost of citizens' juries, focus groups and other deliberative forms of research undertaken by the Department are not readily available. Supplying the costs of all such research citizens' juries and focus groups would require a substantial investigation into all public engagement programmes undertaken by various divisions within the department and its arms length bodies, including the national health service, and would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, the Department held nine citizens' juries around the future of the NHS in September 2007. Each jury cost £96.547.78, totalling £868,930.02.

Dietary Supplements: Nutrition

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when Food Standards Agency officials proposed that Ministers from his Department should meet representatives of consumers of food supplements to discuss the setting of maximum permitted levels for nutrients in such supplements; and for what reasons no date for such a meeting has been set;
	(2)  which member states of the European Union have indicated they will support the United Kingdom's objective for and approach to the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements; what progress has been made on achievement of the UK's objectives; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which Minister in his Department has responsibility for the achievement of his objectives for setting maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements; and what discussions that Minister has had with  (a) the European Commission and  (b) other EU member state governments on the matter.

Dawn Primarolo: Food Standards Agency (FSA) met with the Health Food Manufacturers' Association in August. The FSA met with the Commission on 12 Sept and also held a stakeholder event to discuss the orientation paper on 14 September in advance of the first Commission working group meeting with member states which took place on 24 September. Such proactive stakeholder engagement will continue. FSA gave advice to Ministers in connection with the CHC reception held in October 2007.
	Good progress has been made in promoting work carried out in the United Kingdom in establishing upper levels for vitamins and minerals and reference has been made to this in an orientation paper on setting maximum levels which was the starting point for Commission working group discussions which began on 24 September 2007.
	We have been advised by the FSA that general discussions on the orientation paper in the working group revealed that while member states support the broad objective of setting of maximum levels on the basis of safety and science, many are yet to establish views on a range of issues and as such are not in a position to support any specific approach at such an early stage in the discussions.
	Ministerial responsibility for matters relating to food supplements, including the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in these products, rests with me. No recent meetings have been held between Health Ministers and the European Commission or with other European Union member state governments on this matter.

Doctors

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors graduated in England in each year since 1997; how many NHS vacancies there were for these doctors in each year; how many GP posts became available in each year; and how many foreign national doctors began employment in the UK in each year.

Ann Keen: The following table provides information for how many doctors graduated in England from 1997.
	
		
			  Table 1: Medical school output in England 1997-98-2006-07 
			  Academic year  Graduate output 
			 1997-98 3,261 
			 1998-99 3,097 
			 1999-2000 3,373 
			 2000-01 3,286 
			 2001-02 3,280 
			 2002-03 3,522 
			 2003-04 3,734 
			 2004-05 3,935 
			 2005-06 4,376 
			 2006-07 4,904 
			  Source:  Higher Education Funding Council for England 
		
	
	The number of foreign national doctors commencing work each year in the United Kingdom, the number of national health service vacancies for these doctors and the number of general practitioner posts that became available in each year is not collated centrally. However, the following table provides information on the total number of house officer and foundation programme year 1.
	
		
			  Table 2: Hospital and Community Health Services: medical and dental staff showing house officer and foundation programme year 1 by year—England as at 30 September each year 
			  Number (headcount) 
			   All staff  Of which: House office r  and foundation programme year 1 
			 1997 66,836 3,398 
			 1998 68,458 3,496 
			 1999 70,000 3,606 
			 2000 71,688 3,691 
			 2001 73,846 3,742 
			 2002 77,031 4,010 
			 2003 80,851 4,003 
			 2004 86,996 4,273 
			 2005 90,630 4,663 
			 2006 93,320 4,905 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census

Drugs: Misuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were prescribed  (a) methadone and  (b) other hard drug substitutes in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the size is of the waiting list for substitutes programmes.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2006-07, the latest period for which data are available, 118,500 individuals received a prescribing modality, such as methadone for the treatment of drug misuse.
	The average waiting time to access general practitioner prescribing in 2006-07 was 0.87 weeks.
	The average waiting time to access specialist prescribing in 2006-07 was 0-9 weeks.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been provided for residential drug treatment and rehabilitation centres in  (a) the Wakefield area,  (b) Hemsworth constituency and  (c) England in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: Funding for residential drug treatment and rehabilitation centres for the Wakefield area, Hemsworth constituency and England in 2007-08 is detailed as follows:
	In 2007-08 the Wakefield partnership identified £84,400 from the local authority contribution to the pooled budget for residential rehabilitation. This ring fenced pot is accessed by the partnership on an individual needs basis.
	As the Wakefield partnership covers all localities within the Wakefield area there is no separate allocation for the Hemsworth constituency. As all client applications to residential rehabilitation are based on need, it would be inappropriate to divide the funding to each suburb of the partnership.
	Partnership areas send their annual treatment plans to the National Treatment Agency regional teams for consideration. Drawing on data from the planning grids of the partnership treatment plans for 2007-08, the amount budgeted by 142 drug action teams (DATs) to spend on residential rehabilitation and in-patient services was £84.1 million. However there were seven DAT partnerships that had not provided a figure in their treatment plans, thus the true national total may be higher than this.

Drugs: Waiting Lists

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was to move from the waiting list to treatment programmes for hard drug substitutes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The latest waiting times data for substitute prescribing that we have available are for September 2007. The waiting time in this period for specialist prescribing is 0.9 weeks, and for general practitioners prescribing is 0.87 weeks.

Education for Choice

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's Education for Choice initiative.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is funding Education for Choice to develop two best practice toolkits for practitioners titled "Pregnancy decision making support and Abortion Education". These were tested as part of the work in our teenage health demonstration sites. The toolkits will be launched nationally early in 2008.

Eye Care Services Steering Group

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1118W, on the eye care services steering group, when the group last met.

Ann Keen: The eye care services steering group last met on 4 October 2006.

Foetal Tissue: Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials have had with (i) hon. Members and (ii) Members of the House of Lords on (A) embryonic stem cell research and (B) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Departmental Ministers and officials have had numerous discussions with hon. Members and Members of the House of Lords on several matters in connection with the review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, and the resulting Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, including on embryonic stem cell research.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much food imported into the UK contained genetically modified ingredients in the last year for which figures are available; what labelling is required on those foodstuffs; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: All food imported into the United Kingdom from third countries, or in free circulation within the European Union (EU), must comply with relevant EU legislation. Official controls on food, including genetically modified food, imported from third countries are carried out by port health authorities and local authorities at points of entry into the UK. The collection of specific data on the quantity of imported food containing genetically modified ingredients is not a legal requirement under EU official controls legislation and such data are not collected for other purposes.
	GM food is regulated in the EU under Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 (GM Food and Feed Regulation) and Regulation (EC) No. 1830/2003 (Traceability and Labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)). GM food may only be marketed in the EU if it has been authorised following a process which involves a rigorous safety assessment. GMOs which have not been authorised for use in the EU are prohibited.
	Food which contains, consists of, or has been produced from authorised GMOs has to be labelled as such regardless of the presence of detectable novel genetic material in the final product, or the quantity of intentionally used GM ingredient present. Labelling does not apply to foods which contain authorised GM material of 0.9 per cent. or less, provided that this presence is adventitious or technically unavoidable.

Health Services: Forest of Dean

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with those social enterprises operating health services in  (a) the Forest of Dean and ( b) Stroud.

Ivan Lewis: The Forest of Dean Health Enterprise Trust is one the Department's social enterprise pathfinders, which are leading the way in delivering innovative health and social care services. They are working closely with the Department, the NHS South West and other stakeholders and are making progress in reviewing options for developing innovative community services, covering health, social care and transport.
	The Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) has not had any recent discussions with social enterprises operating health services in Stroud.

Health Services: Infectious Diseases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of the precautionary principle in steps to mitigate vCJD transmission via the transfusion of blood from asymptomatic carriers.

Dawn Primarolo: A range of precautionary measures have been put in place by the Department to reduce the possible risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) being passed through blood. For details of these precautionary measures I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) on 14 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1329-30W.

Health: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the UK National Screening Committee to publish its equality review of national screening programmes.

Dawn Primarolo: A scoping report was presented to the United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) at its November 2007 meeting. This recommended that a UK-wide project should be undertaken to address equality in screening. The project is currently being commissioned and the results will be published in due course on the UK NSC website.

Heart Diseases: Medical Equipment

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average change in the costs of drug eluting stents has been over the last four years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost to the NHS of drug eluting stents was over the past four years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not collect information on the cost of stents centrally.
	There is no national framework agreement for the supply of drug eluting stents, and trusts or their Collaborative Procurement Hubs purchase or contract these directly from suppliers.

Heart Diseases: Medical Equipment

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence health technology appraisal on drug eluting stents has been referred to the Decision Support Unit at Sheffield University for further work.

Dawn Primarolo: We understand that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has not asked the Decision Support Unit at Sheffield University to carry out any work relating to this appraisal.

Heart Diseases: Medical Equipment

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations his Department has made to refer the technology appraisal on drug eluting stents to the Decision Support Unit at Sheffield university.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is conducting a review of earlier guidance issued in October 2003 on the use of drug eluting coronary artery stents in the treatment of heart disease. The conduct of the appraisal is a matter for NICE. We understand the Institute has not asked the Decision Support Unit at Sheffield university to carry out any work relating to this appraisal.

Hospitals: Parking

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospitals provide car parking concessions for patients travelling regularly for treatment.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for each national health service trust to set the level of charges for its car parks, taking into account local circumstances. However, the Department issued revised guidance to the national health service in December 2006 entitled 'Income Generation: Car Parking Charges—Best Practice for Implementation' on the issues to be considered when setting up a car parking scheme or when reviewing existing ones, including what charges to impose and what concessions to consider. This guidance strongly encourages the NHS to be sensitive to those patients who have to use their car parks regularly, by, for instance, offering them reduced price or free car parking.

Human Papilloma Virus: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which sites will begin human papilloma virus testing as triage, as referred to in paragraph 3.15 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The sites which will begin human papilloma virus testing as triage are:
	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	Central Manchester and Manchester Childrens University Hospitals NHS Trust;
	North Bristol NHS Hospital Trust;
	Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust;
	North West London Hospitals NHS Trust; and
	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Trust.
	Results from these sites will be known by 2009 at which point further roll-out can be considered.

Independent Reconfiguration Panel

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1002W, on the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, if he will list the members of the panel, stating in each case whether they are a  (a) clinical,  (b) managerial and  (c) lay representative;
	(2)  on what dates the annual review meetings between the Panel and senior representatives from his Department were held; and if he will place copies of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of each of these meetings in the Library;
	(3)  what the value of the contract between the Panel and the Central Office of Information for media work was in each financial year since the Panel was established.

Ann Keen: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel website lists both the members of the panel and their category of membership. It also includes details of business reviews for 2004-05, 2005-06 and can be found at:
	www.irpanel.org.uk.
	The business review for 2006-07 will be published on the website in due course.
	The value of the contract between the panel and the Central Office of Information for media work in each financial year since the panel was established is given as follows. The increase in costs during 2006-07 is a result of the panel's increased work load during that time.
	
		
			   Total  (£) 
			 March 2004 to March 2005 28,662.84 
			 April 2005 to February 2006 18,626.33 
			 March 2006 to April 2007 73,650.69

Industrial Diseases

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the annual financial cost of the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease accounts for more than £800 million in direct national health service healthcare costs each year.

Infectious Diseases: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of  (a) elective and  (b) emergency patients screened for (i) MRSA and (ii) clostridium difficile in the last period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The decision to screen for MRSA is currently taken by local managers and clinicians in health organisations. The department does not routinely produce estimates of methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening or estimates of the extent of screening. Information on MRSA screening is not collected centrally.
	Patients, whether elective or emergency admissions, are not usually screened for  Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). However, if a patient presents with diarrhoea clinicians may request testing for GDI.

Infertility: Females

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnoses of  (a) female infertility there have been (i) in total and (ii) of tubal origin and  (b) male infertility there have been in England in each year since 1997-98.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 13 December 2007
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes in England where there was a primary or secondary diagnosis of female infertility, female infertility of tubal origin and male infertility since 1997-98( 1) 
			   Female infertility  Female infertility of tubal origin( 2)  Male infertility 
			 2006-07 22,061 2,482 699 
			 2005-06 20,675 2,114 722 
			 2004-05 20,125 2,147 734 
			 2003-04 20,038 2,337 650 
			 2002-03 20,130 2,464 713 
			 2001-02 20,310 2,328 658 
			 2000-01 21,349 2,481 792 
			 1999-2000 23,667 2,771 858 
			 1998-99 24,950 3,021 922 
			 1997-98 25,688 3,257 948 
			 (1) The figures do not represent a count of total diagnoses of infertility as many patients may have this diagnosis but not be admitted to hospital. The figures may also capture the same patient twice if they have more than one finished consultant episode where the infertility diagnosis was recorded. (2) Data for 'female infertility of tubal origin' are also included in the data for total 'female infertility'. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government has to stockpile  (a) anti-inflammatory drugs and  (b) immunomodulatory statins for use in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: On 22 November, the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) announced the commitment to increase stockpiles of antivirals and antibiotics in preparation for an influenza pandemic. The Department is also working on a number of measures to safeguard the supply of a range of other medicines including anti-inflammatories and statins. Stockpiling is one option among several that are being explored. Work on preparedness for an influenza pandemic continues.

Maternity Services: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to improve the standard of services for women in labour since 1997.

Ann Keen: Since 1997, we have made great strides in improving maternity care. On 27 November 2007, the Healthcare Commission published a report of their survey of "women's experiences of maternity care in the NHS, England". The survey found that "89 per cent. of women rated the overall care received during labour and birth as 'excellent', 'very good' or 'good' ". However, we recognise that more work needs to be done.
	The standard for maternity care is contained in Standard 11 of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (published September 2004) the standard sets out the Government's vision for maternity services, which is for women
	"to have easy access to supportive, high quality maternity services, designed around their individual needs and those of their babies".
	Earlier this year we published "Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service". This document introduces a new national choice guarantee for women. This means that by 2009 all women will have choice in where and how they have their baby and what pain relief to use, depending on their individual circumstances.
	On 26 September 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published a guideline on "Intrapartum care: management and delivery of care to women in labour". It provides additional information to help women and their partners to make a truly informed choice as to which setting is most appropriate for their own needs and wishes in where their baby is delivered, having discussed this with their midwife.

Medical Treatments Abroad

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 831W, whether the health care professionals who advised his Department on classification were informed that this classification would be used as the basis of a proposed pricing system.

Dawn Primarolo: Health care professionals reviewed responses to the consultation on the basis of items meeting similar medical need, and product features such as size and material.
	This was designed as technical input and they were not requested to consider the item price of any of the items under consideration, and the application of the economic pricing model was not discussed. This was made clear in the Consultation published on 6 September 2007, "Arrangements under Part IX of the Drugs Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances—and related services-to Primary Care: Annex C Proposals regarding reimbursement for items".
	It should be noted that in November 2006, the Department consulted upon the principle of the economic model proposed, as this information and how it was proposed to be applied to any item classification was clearly laid out, for all stakeholders to review.

Mentally Incapacitated: Protection

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) role is performed by and  (b) action is required from the Commission for Social Care Inspection when a local authority notifies it of an adult protection case.

Ivan Lewis: In 2000, the Department issued "No Secrets— guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse". Under the guidance, local authorities are allocated the lead and co-ordination responsibility in local safeguarding situations. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) established a protocol with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Association of Chief Police Officers to clarify the role of key agencies collaborating in multi-agency safeguarding procedures. This was revised and updated in 2007.
	As detailed in section 3.2 of CSCI's Safeguarding Adults Protocol and Guidance, CSCI works in partnership with other agencies to ensure that concerns or allegations of abuse are appropriately referred to and investigated by the most appropriate agency; and ensures regulated services comply with relevant regulations.
	While CSCI will aim to co-ordinate any regulatory action with the police or commissioners of the service, the need to give primary consideration to its own statutory responsibilities follows the key principle which emerged from the 'Longacre' inquiry. This was that while working in partnership with other agencies, CSCI will not suspend its own statutory enforcement responsibilities pending the outcome of another (e.g. criminal) process where to do so would run counter to the safety and well-being of the people who use the service. In such circumstances, CSCI will aim wherever possible to coordinate actions in order to preserve evidence and avoid impeding each other's investigations or enforcement action.
	Where there are no indications of serious risk requiring immediate regulatory action, the outcome of any investigation undertaken by partner agencies or the care provider will inform CSCI's decision making about further regulatory action.

MRSA: Disease Control

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides on personal hygiene measures to be taken by patients prior to attending a pre-operation assessment to help minimise the spread of MRSA.

Ann Keen: The Department has not produced guidance about measures to be taken by patients before a pre-operation assessment and arrangements will be determined locally by trusts. However, in the course of 2008-09, methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening for all elective admissions will be introduced as part of the pre-operation assessment and this will help reduce MRSA infection rates.

National Blood Service

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of donations of blood to the National Blood Service; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Blood Service (NBS) aims to have between 40,000 to 50,000 units of red blood cells in stock. This target allows for a sizable stock for contingency purposes above and beyond normal demand for red blood cells.
	As of 14 December 2007, the NBS had 31,853 units of red blood cells in stock. While this is below target levels, the NBS continues to meet demand for blood from hospitals.
	The NBS recognises the need to increase blood collection and has put in place a number of initiatives, such as increased marketing activity to current and potential blood donors and the introduction of an appointments system for donors.
	However fewer people are giving blood regularly, a trend that the NBS is working to reverse.

NHS Foundation Trusts: Public Appointments

Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which individuals have been appointed to the boards of NHS foundation trusts in the North West of England since 2001 to date, broken down by  (a) employment background,  (b) ethnicity,  (c) sex and  (d) political affiliation.

Ann Keen: Monitor, the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, authorised the first national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) on 1 April 2004.
	The public register on Monitor's website contains a list of board members for each NHSFT. This is available at:
	www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/register.php
	More detailed information is not collected by Monitor but may be obtained by contacting the chair of each NHSFT in the north-west region. The following NHSFTs are located in the north-west region (as at 1 December 2007):
	Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust;
	Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
	Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Foundation Trust;
	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust;
	Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust;
	Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust;
	Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust;
	University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust; and
	Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS: Drugs

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many biosimilar medicines are licensed for use in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  if the Government will take steps to preclude the automatic substitution of brands with similar biological medicines to ensure patients are not put at unnecessary risk from potential adverse drug reactions;
	(3)  if he will hold discussions with  (a) the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and  (b) the European Medicines Agency to ensure that manufacturers of biosimilar medicines submit full clinical trial data on each indication for their products rather than extrapolated data from the reference product;
	(4)  if he will ensure that biosimilar medicine packaging and accompanying patient information leaflets  (a) contain details of the formulation and manufacturing process for the biosimilar agent and  (b) make reference to the potential risk of not being able to determine which drug resulted in an adverse drug reaction as a result of interchanging similar biological medicines.

Dawn Primarolo: The relevant European Union (EU) legislation requires that packaging and leaflets include information on the qualitative composition for active substances and excipients and the quantitative composition for active substances, the pharmaceutical form and content of the active drug substance in weight, volume or units of dosage, the name and address of the manufacturer, the name and address of the marketing authorisation holder and, where applicable, the name of his appointed representatives in the member states.
	They must also include a description of the relevant adverse reactions which may occur under normal use of the medicinal product and, if necessary, the action to be taken in such a case. The patient should be expressly asked to communicate any adverse reaction which is not mentioned in the package leaflet to his doctor or pharmacist.
	Details of the manufacturing processes are commercially confidential and are subject to intellectual property rights and cannot be made publicly available.
	The demonstration of the similar nature of two biological medicinal products may not always be required for each indication applied for. European legislation does not exclude extrapolation of evidence based on the biosimilar product. Existing guidance provided by European Medicines Agency (EMEA) allows such extrapolation, when demonstrated in an appropriate clinical situation, as long as it is justified on a scientific basis. Therefore the type and amount of additional data to be provided shall be determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with relevant scientific guidelines.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has not issued a specific guideline to clinicians on substitution. All medicines, including biological medicines, should be prescribed by clinicians in accordance with the approved advice provided in the Summary of Product Characteristics which provides full information about the product, including its side effects and its use.
	The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's Professional standards and guidance for the sale and supply of medicines provides advice to pharmacists on switching from innovator biological medicines to biosimilar medicines and states that except in an emergency, a specifically named product should not be substituted by any other product without the approval of the patient or carer and the prescriber, and in the case of hospital drugs, the approval of the therapeutics committee, or in line with other similar locally agreed protocols.
	To date there are five biosimilar medicinal products approved for use in the EU. This includes two preparations of the recombinant growth hormone, somatropin, namely Omnitrope and Valtropin and three preparations of epoetin alfa; Abseamed, Binocrit, and Epoetin alfa Hexal.
	There are several more biosimilar medicinal products currently under assessment.

NHS: ICT

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the quality of evidence submitted by the Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's review of the economic models for determining cost-effectiveness in technology appraisals.

Dawn Primarolo: We have received no such representations.

NHS: Speech Therapy

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech therapist hours per week are available within the NHS in the North East region.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of qualified speech and language therapy staff in the North East Strategic Health Authority area as at 30 September 2006.
	
		
			   Full-time equivalent 
			 England 5,149 
			  Of  which:  
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 311 
			  Notes: 1. Full time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. One full-time equivalent is based on 37.5 hours per week.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were in each specialty at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes by main speciality for the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust in 2005-06 
			  Main specialty  Goole treatment centre  Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust  Total finished consultant episodes 
			 Accident and Emergency — 502 502 
			 Anaesthetics — 318 318 
			 Cardiothoracic Surgery — 55 55 
			 Clinical Haematology — 3,026 3,026 
			 Clinical Immunology and Allergy — 123 123 
			 Critical Care Medicine 6 461 467 
			 Dermatology — (1)— (1)— 
			 Ear, Nose and Throat — 2,171 2,171 
			 General Medicine 8 26,892 26,900 
			 General Surgery — 17,622 17,622 
			 Geriatric Medicine — 3,825 3,825 
			 Gynaecology — 10,613 10,613 
			 Medical Oncology — 5,397 5,397 
			 Nephrology — (1)— (1)— 
			 Obstetrics — 6,408 6,408 
			 Ophthalmology 478 2,822 3,300 
			 Oral Surgery — 1,909 1,909 
			 Paediatrics — 9,736 9,736 
			 Rehabilitation — (1)— (1)— 
			 Rheumatology — 681 681 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 2,203 6,394 8,597 
			 Urology — 6,234 6,234 
			 Not Known — 17 17 
			 Total 2,695 105,224 107,919 
			 (1) Low numbers. Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed. Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional smallest number have been suppressed in order to protect patient confidentiality.  Notes: 1. Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust is made up of the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust and the Goole Treatment Centre. The total finished consultant episodes column is the total figure for the whole trust. 2. The specialty in each consultant episode is the specialty the consultant practices under. 3. Data quality. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 4. Finished Consultant Episode (FCE). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 5. Specialty. Care is needed when analysing HES data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as Acute). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other recorded information. 6. Ungrossed Data. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health & Social Care

Nurses: Manpower

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses are available to treat patients with long-term conditions; and what plans he has to increase the numbers of specialist nurses treating patients with long-term conditions.

Ann Keen: The national health service work force census does not separately identify specialist nurses available to treat patients with long-term conditions.
	It is for local work force planners to determine their specialist nursing needs in order to meet the long term condition needs of their local population.
	The Government recognise the important contribution made by specialist nurses and remain committed to both the continued development of such roles and to ensuring there are enough specialist nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide the high quality services for patients.

Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were  (a) admitted to and  (b) discharged from hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition, (ii) nutritional anaemias and (iii) other nutritional deficiencies in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07; and if he will provide a breakdown of these figures by hospital for 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Obesity

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to increase public awareness of the body mass index as an indicator of health; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has produced a number of publications that include descriptions of body mass index (BMI) in the context of maintaining a healthy weight, for example, the "Your Weight Your Health" leaflet. The Department's website also defines BMI in the context of obesity in children and adults.
	In addition, the Department commissioned the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce guidance on the "prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children". Published in December 2006, this guidance includes information on BMI and more importantly advice to the public on achieving and maintaining a healthy BMI.

Obesity

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of parents who will access the online height-weight calculator being developed by his Department.

Dawn Primarolo: An interim version of the online height weight calculator has been available since July at www.direct.gov.uk/childweight We have been monitoring the use of the calculator since October 2007, and there have been over 4,500 hits. We are currently consulting with parents for their views on the calculator, and following this, will make changes to ensure a permanent tool is parent-friendly and useful. We will continue to monitor the use of the calculator.

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish his Department's strategy for tackling obesity; which  (a) Government Departments,  (b) Government agencies,  (c) other organisations and  (d) other interested parties are involved in its development; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The cross-Government strategy to tackle obesity will be published mid to late January 2008. The development of the strategy has been informed by discussions with several Government Departments, including: Children, Schools and Family, Culture, Media and Sport, Communities and Local Government, Transport, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Cabinet Office. We have also consulted with the Food Standards Agency and scientific experts from the Foresight Project along with a number of non-governmental organisations. I will be meeting with ministerial colleagues to continue discussions as we move towards publication.

Organs: Donors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organs of each type were  (a) donated and  (b) required to treat people in each year since organ donation began.

Ann Keen: The number of organs donated from deceased and living donors, and the numbers added to the waiting list in each year is shown as follows. Records before 1972 are very sparse and are only properly validated since 1985. As such, these figures can be described as 'since records began' but cannot be treated as absolute.
	
		
			  Organs donated for transplant, United Kingdom, from deceased donors 
			   kidney  heart  lung  liver  pancreas 
			 1972 590 — — — — 
			 1973 540 — — 5 — 
			 1974 620 — — 2 — 
			 1975 677 — — 8 — 
			 1976 682 — — 15 — 
			 1977 866 — — 14 — 
			 1978 1,030 — — 7 — 
			 1979 908 — — 8 — 
			 1980 970 2 — 8 — 
			 1981 850 3 — 9 — 
			 1982 1,075 3 — 11 — 
			 1983 1,182 7 — 8 — 
			 1984 1,510 32 — 29 1 
			 1985 1,376 134 62 59 15 
			 1986 1,517 209 99 137 11 
			 1987 1,533 279 128 204 14 
			 1988 1,609 338 187 272 31 
			 1989 1,814 357 205 340 13 
			 1990 1,777 365 228 369 6 
			 1991 1,671 327 249 409 13 
			 1992 1,688 358 242 504 32 
			 1993 1,639 335 221 542 36 
			 1994 1,659 380 287 626 32 
			 1995 1,688 346 284 663 55 
			 1996 1,594 326 296 645 52 
			 1997 1,565 286 270 658 49 
			 1998 1,453 287 277 653 33 
			 1999 1,405 250 270 650 43 
			 2000 1,448 211 232 663 39 
			 2001 1,465 200 246 662 64 
			 2002 1,443 161 222 689 89 
			 2003 1,343 163 285 606 86 
			 2004 1,525 175 287 702 115 
			 2005 1,412 150 279 605 161 
			 2006 1,477 156 248 624 212 
			 2007(1) 1,334 128 234 548 287 
			 total 46,935 5,956 5,338 12,054 1,489 
			 (1) to date 
		
	
	
		
			  Organs donated for transplant, UK, from living donors 
			   kidney  partial liver  partial lung  ' domino' heart  'domino '  liver 
			 1972 8 — — — — 
			 1973 6 — — — — 
			 1974 11 — — — — 
			 1975 13 — — — — 
			 1976 31 — — — — 
			 1977 65 — — — — 
			 1978 103 — — — — 
			 1979 92 — — — — 
			 1980 76 — — — — 
			 1981 81 — — — — 
			 1982 80 — — — — 
			 1983 104 — — — — 
			 1984 118 — — — — 
			 1985 112 — — — — 
			 1986 114 — — — — 
			 1987 112 — — 24 — 
			 1988 126 — — 31 — 
			 1989 118 — — 32 — 
			 1990 101 — — 48 — 
			 1991 88 — — 40 — 
			 1992 101 — — 25 — 
			 1993 142 1 — 13 — 
			 1994 135 7 — 23 — 
			 1995 155 1 2 27 — 
			 1996 183 2 4 21 1 
			 1997 179 4 2 19 — 
			 1998 253 2 8 28 — 
			 1999 270 13 4 23 1 
			 2000 348 13 2 13 — 
			 2001 359 8 2 10 1 
			 2002 372 2 — 6 4 
			 2003 451 3 — 4 3 
			 2004 463 10 — 1 2 
			 2005 544 8 — — 1 
			 2006 671 9 — — 3 
			 2007 (to date) 714 11 2 — 2 
			 Total 6,900 94 26 388 18 
		
	
	
		
			  Patients added to the active waiting list for an organ transplant, UK 
			   Kidney  Pancreas  Kidney/pancreas  Heart  Lung  Heart/lung  Liver 
			 1972 452 — — — — — — 
			 1973 476 — — — — — — 
			 1974 583 — — — — — — 
			 1975 662 — — — — — — 
			 1976 672 — — — — — — 
			 1977 860 — — — — — — 
			 1978 1,161 — — — — — — 
			 1979 1,098 — — — — — — 
			 1980 1,181 — — — — — — 
			 1981 1,142 — — — — — — 
			 1982 1,351 — — — — — — 
			 1983 1,566 — — — — — — 
			 1984 1,792 — 1 34 — — — 
			 1985 1,947 — — 302 — 1 49 
			 1986 2,079 — 2 386 1 2 96 
			 1987 1,963 — — 465 11 5 168 
			 1988 2,039 1 2 555 9 10 234 
			 1989 2,095 2 27 337 27 99 287 
			 1990 2,305 2 16 311 80 158 344 
			 1991 2,316 — 23 373 111 144 426 
			 1992 2,347 1 29 382 123 152 463 
			 1993 2,269 — 29 346 133 113 540 
			 1994 2,200 2 28 337 157 75 561 
			 1995 2,352 3 39 325 177 91 670 
			 1996 2,429 8 36 341 161 128 682 
			 1997 2,209 5 34 365 185 80 726 
			 1998 2,037 3 53 311 142 71 750 
			 1999 2,026 4 60 271 174 83 671 
			 2000 1,966 16 68 222 178 92 785 
			 2001 1,976 5 82 198 170 61 797 
			 2002 2,006 17 66 183 182 52 791 
			 2003 1,955 12 73 196 174 39 839 
			 2004 2,186 30 112 205 205 33 865 
			 2005 2,257 35 119 214 241 26 867 
			 2006 2,656 48 217 205 208 16 780 
			 2007 (to date) 2,132 42 162 164 172 7 633 
			 Total 62,743 236 1,278 7,028 3,021 1,538 13,024

Organs: Donors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons an EU-wide legal framework for organ donation has been proposed.

Ann Keen: A European Union Commission analysis of organ donation and transplantation across EU member states has revealed large differences in organ donor rates and transplant activity. On 31 May 2007 the EU Commission adopted a communication on organ donation and transplantation proposing two mechanisms. Firstly an action plan to encourage closer cooperation between member states sharing expertise to maximise organ donation and to optimise equity of access to transplantation. The Commission would also monitor organ trafficking and consider any necessary additional action. Secondly, it would put in place a legal framework that would establish the basic level of quality and safety for transplantation at community level.

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used by the Healthcare Commission for assessing adherence to core standards on food and nutritional care, as described on page 18 of his Department's document, Improving Nutritional Care; and in what ways these criteria are new.

Ann Keen: Core standard C15 focuses on the provision of food in relation to choice, safety, balanced diet, nutrition, dietary requirements and access. As part of their self-declaration process the Healthcare Commission have published the following criteria for assessment of C15:
	 C15a
	1. Patients are offered a choice of food in line with the requirements of a balanced diet, reflecting the needs and preferences and rights (including faith and cultural needs) of its service user population(1)
	2. The preparation, distribution, handling and serving of food is carried out in accordance with food safety legislation and national guidance (including the Food Safety Act 1990, the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and EC regulation 852/2004.
	 C15b
	1. Patients have access to food and drink 24 hours a day(1)
	2. The nutritional, personal and clinical dietary requirements of individual patients are assessed and met, including the right to have religious dietary requirements met(1)
	3. Patients requiring assistance with eating and drinking are provided with appropriate support(1)
	(1) Adequate levels of assurance can be provided by an outcome of 'excellent' for 'food' for each relevant site from Patient Environment Action Teams' assessments for 2008.
	For the 2006-07 assessment year, there was only a minor clarification to the criteria the Healthcare Commission used for assessment purposes.
	For the 2007-08 assessment year, the criteria dropped reference to the Better Hospital Food programme as the programme came to a close.

Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding the Government will make available to the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group in each of the next three financial years.

Dawn Primarolo: At the British Pharmaceutical Conference in September 2007, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, (Mr. Bradshaw), announced £3 million towards establishing the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This will be allocated in two amounts across two financial years: £1.5 million in 2008-09 and £1.5 million in 2009-10. At present, there is no allocation for the financial year 2010-11. As part of its work, the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group will advise Ministers on the financial considerations of establishing the GPhC.

Pharmacy: Personal Records

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how data are shared between pharmacists and the Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority; and what medium is used to transmit the data;
	(2)  what encryption is used when sending data from pharmacists to the Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority.

Dawn Primarolo: The prescription pricing division (PPD) of the NHS Business Services Authority currently uses the paper prescription forms received for reimbursement and remuneration purposes only.
	PPD also receive prescription messages under Release 1 of the electronic prescription service (EPS) but no PPD processing takes place for reimbursement and remuneration purposes. Approximately 1.1 million messages have been received since August 2007, which are held for approximately 60 days then deleted. The service protects the confidentiality of the data received.
	The data received through the EPS are encrypted under transport layer security termination and conform to the national health service cryptographic standards. The data are unencrypted at PPD and are processed through a secure batch processing system.

Post-natal Depression

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mothers have been diagnosed with post-natal depression in each year since 1997  (a) one week,  (b) one month and  (c) one year after giving birth; and how many mother and baby beds are available in mental health units.

Ann Keen: Information about the number of mothers who were diagnosed with postnatal depression, within any given time period following birth, is not collected centrally. Accurate data are not available about overall mother and baby bed numbers.

Poultry Meat

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the addition of animal or vegetable proteins or other high nitrogen materials into chicken breasts; what assessment he has made of the effect of this practice on the accurate measurement of the amount of added water in the product; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assistance the Food Standards Agency has  (a) requested and  (b) received from (i) the European Commission and (ii) the Dutch Government in relation to the use of added animal proteins in chicken breasts in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The production and labelling of meat products are regulated in law. European legislation places no limit on the addition of proteins of animal or vegetable origin. If proteins are added to chicken breast products they must be correctly described on the label so as not to mislead consumers.
	Added water is calculated using methodology agreed at European level. The method was developed to take account of the addition of hydrolysed collagen protein and works well for the type of product that it was developed for. The need for further methodological development is kept under consideration.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has urged the European Commission to take action on the use of hydrolysed proteins from different animal species in poultry products, including in chicken breast products. The European Commission responded with a number of actions, including:
	a review of legal requirements, emphasising to member states that the practice of adding proteins to poultry products is legal, but that without proper labelling it would be fraudulent. The conclusion was that the legislation was adequate;
	a European Food and Veterinary Office mission to assess poultry meat production including the use of water retention agents such as proteins. This mission covered both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands;
	the inclusion of an assessment of the use of water retention agents in a European Coordinated Programme for the Official Control of Food Stuffs.
	In relation to assistance from the Government of the Netherlands, adverse sampling and testing results on imported frozen chicken breasts with added water and protein from the Netherlands have been forwarded by the FSA during 2007 to the Dutch enforcement authorities. The Dutch authorities have taken action against the relevant company.

Prescription Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) pre-market launch and  (b) post-market launch medicines are on which the National Prescribing Centre provides evaluated information; and which condition each treats.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Prescribing Centre publishes two newsletters on its website to assist the national health service in managing the introduction of new medicines. "On the Horizon—Future Medicines" contains information on selected medicines prior to launch, and "On the Horizon—Post-Launch Update" provides information on selected medicines after they have been launched in the United Kingdom.
	The following tables show topics and indications from both publications from April 2005 to December 2007.
	
		
			  Pre-market launch medicines 
			   Topic  Indication 
			 2005-06 Capecitabine Adjunct to surgery for Duke's C colon cancer 
			  Natalizumab Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis 
			  Letrozole Early hormone-responsive breast cancer 
			  Rimonabant Obesity 
			  Pegaptanib Age-related macular degeneration 
			  Trastuzumab Adjuvant treatment of HER2 positive early breast cancer 
			  Tegaserod Irritable bowel syndrome 
			  Deferasirox Chronic iron overload 
			  Varenicline Smoking cessation 
			
			 2006-07 Agomelatine Depression 
			  Sitagliptin and Vildagliptin Type 2 diabetes 
			  Bevacizumab Advanced non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer 
			  Telbivudine Chronic hepatitis B 
			  Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) Anaemia of chronic kidney disease 
			  Aliskiren Hypertension 
			
			 April 2007 to date Febuxostat Treatment of high uric acid levels in gout 
			  Dabigatran Prevention of blood clots after orthopaedic surgery 
			  Ramelteon Insomnia 
			  Lacosamide Pain due to diabetic neuropathy 
			  Rivaroxaban (in production) Prevention of blood clots after orthopaedic surgery 
			  Source: National Prescribing Centre: On the Horizon—Future Medicines 
		
	
	
		
			  Post-market launch medicines 
			   Topic  Indication 
			 2006-07 Inhaled insulin Type 1 diabetes 
			  Natalizumab Multiple sclerosis 
			  Rimonabant Obesity 
			  Varenicline Smoking cessation 
			
			 April 2007 to date Sitagliptin Type 2 diabetes 
			  Vildagliptin (in production) Type 2 diabetes 
			  Source: National Prescribing Centre: On the Horizon—Post-launch Update

Prescription Drugs: Side Effects

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) estimate he has made of and  (b) research he has (i) commissioned and (ii) evaluated on the number of patients who have had adverse reactions to medicines due to (A) prescription and (B) use after the use-by date; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The data collected on suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) Yellow Card Scheme do not record whether the drug suspected to have caused an adverse reaction was received by prescription or if the drug was used after the use-by date.
	No research into the numbers of patients who experience ADRs from medicines received by prescription or use of medicines after the use-by date has been commissioned by the MHRA.

Prescriptions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1013W, on prescriptions, what operational issues were discussed.

Dawn Primarolo: Since January this year, a representative but not exhaustive list of the operational issues discussed at the monthly departmental meetings with the prescription pricing division of the National Health Service Business Services Authority, have been the performance report, the business plan, the capacity improvement programme, information services and the electronic prescription service.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of prescription items were dispensed free of charge in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information centre for health and social care's "Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community Statistics for 1996 to 2006: England" published in July 2007 shows that 88 per cent. of prescription items were dispensed in the community in England with no charge paid at the point of dispensing.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the 18 to 60-year-old population is not required to pay prescription charges.

Dawn Primarolo: Data are collected on the number of items dispensed and, when free of charge, the reason for the exemption. It is not possible to answer this question because prescription data on individuals are not collected.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the levels of awareness of the NHS Low Income Scheme among people likely to be entitled to such help.

Dawn Primarolo: The Prescription Pricing Division of the National Health Service Business Services Authority, which is responsible for publicising the prescription charging arrangements in England including the NHS low income scheme, takes every opportunity to publicise the arrangements. This includes regular mailings to all pharmacies, general practitioner (GP) dispensing practices and all other GP practices.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals his Department has made to raise patients' awareness of prescription prepayment certificates.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 662W.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to exempt those on low incomes from liability for prescription charges.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government will be inviting views shortly on possible options for changes to prescription charges that are cost neutral to the national health service.

Prescriptions: Pre-payment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have applied to pay for a prepayment prescription certificate by direct debit since this payment method was introduced in July 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The prescription pricing division of the National Health Service Business Services Authority, who administer the prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) arrangements for the Department, received 69,675 applications to purchase a 12-month PPC through direct debit instalments during the period 1 July to 30 November 2007.

Prescriptions: Pre-payment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of patients who have applied for a pre-payment prescription certificate (PPC) who are first-time PPC purchasers.

Dawn Primarolo: The Prescription Pricing Division of the National Health Service Business Services Authority estimates that around 63 per cent. of the applications to purchase a prescription pre-payment certificate during November 2007, were not generated from a previously held record.

Primary Care Trusts

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received continuing care in England during  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005,  (d) 2006 and  (e) 2007, broken down by primary care trust.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Processed Food: Labelling

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the food industry on the relationship between provision of information on sugar, salt and fat content of processed foods and individuals' ability to manage diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity and other chronic medical conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department regularly engages with food manufacturers and retailers at ministerial and official level to discuss this issue.

Prostate Cancer: Staff

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to improve the effectiveness of multi disciplinary teams working in the field of prostate cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: In 2002, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published 'Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers'.
	This guidance sets out recommendations on how services for patients with urological cancers, including prostate cancer, should be organised in order to ensure the best outcomes. In particular, the guidance sets out recommendations on the organisation and membership of urological cancer multi-disciplinary teams (MDT).
	Strategic health authorities have submitted action plans to demonstrate how they will implement this guidance. The Department and the Healthcare Commission monitor progress against these plans.
	The National Cancer Action Team has also funded Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust to develop and run a pilot programme to enhance MDT working and improve the quality of surgical techniques available to prostate cancer patients.

Psychiatry: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of bed numbers in psychiatric wards in Wirral; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The number of available and occupied beds for the specialties of mental illness and learning disabilities at the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has been set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Total  Mental illness  Learning disabilities 
			 Available 436 377 59 
			 Occupied 393 343 50 
			  Source: DH Form KH03 
		
	
	Not everybody who needs care for a mental health related problem needs a psychiatric bed—even in an emergency. We have developed a range of alternatives to in-patient acute beds. These include new models of practice, robust care pathways and supported accommodation or respite care in ordinary settings.
	In-patient psychiatric activity has fallen over time as we have established more than 700 new mental health teams providing community based care as an alternative to acute in-patient care.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to combat the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

Dawn Primarolo: Tackling the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections is a top priority. We are making excellent progress towards offering people an appointment at a genito-urinary medicine clinic within 48 hours, have established the national Chlamydia screening programme, and launched an innovative media campaign aimed at those at highest risk.

Sickle Cell Disease: Screening

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with a sickle cell disease through the National Newborn Screening Programme, broken down by  (a) region,  (b) primary care trust and  (c) constituency.

Ann Keen: Information is not available by primary care trust or constituency.
	Data by new strategic health authority (SHA) for 2005-06, where they are available, and for England as a whole for 2005-06, are given as follows from the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme. These are the rates of screen positive results for significant sickle cell disease detected per 1,000 newborn screening tests undertaken. Not all sites were providing newborn screening for the full year.
	
		
			  Sickle Cell disease—screen positive rates per 1,000 newborn screening tests undertaken 
			  SHA  Total 
			 East Midlands 0.21 
			 East of England 0.40 
			 London 1.91 
			 North East n/a 
			 North West 0.21 
			 South Central n/a 
			 South East Coast 0.08 
			 South West 0.08 
			 West Midlands 0.21 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 0.22 
			   
			 England 0.57 
			 n/a = Not available  Note: Significant sickle cell disorders included in these figures are Sickle Cell Anaemia—Hb SS, Sickle Haemoglobin C Disease—Hb SC, Sickle Haemoglobin D Disease—Hb SD, Sickle Beta Thalassaemia Disease—Hb S/b thalassaemia (b+, b(0), db, Lepore), Sickle O Arab Disease—Hb SO(Arab), and Sickle and hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin—Hb S/HPFH.

Social Care Reform Grant

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the allocation of the social care reform grant will be to each local authority for each of the next three years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Tinnitus

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding he has made available for research into tinnitus; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given on 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2084W, to the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor).

UK Baby Friendly Initiatives

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letter of 22 October from the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan on the Unicef UK baby friendly initiatives.

Dawn Primarolo: A reply was issued on 12 December 2007.

Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources his Department has made available to the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation to promote compliance with its guidance in the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not make resources available to the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) for compliance with its guidance in the national health service. The role of JCVI is to advise the Secretaries of State for Health, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on matters relating to communicable diseases, preventable and potentially preventable through immunisation. However, the Department does provide information materials to the NHS which reflect JCVI agreed advice.

Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has given to the NHS on implementation of the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation guidance.

Dawn Primarolo: The role of Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) is to advise the Secretaries of State for Health, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on matters relating to communicable diseases, preventable and potentially preventable through immunisation. The Department's guidance based on JCVI advice is issued to the national health service through various information channels such as the chief medical officer letters, chief executives bulletin, the guide 'Immunisation against infectious disease', websites and a range of NHS immunisation leaflets.

Vaccination: Children

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons  (a) Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust,  (b) East Lancashire Primary Care Trust and  (c) Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust did not submit COVER reports in the second quarter of 2007; and when each primary care trust (i) last submitted a COVER report and (ii) will next submit a COVER report.

Dawn Primarolo: The Health Protection Agency has informed the Department that both Blackburn with Darwen PCT and East Lancashire PCT were unable to submit data due to staffing problems. The reason that Milton Keynes PCT did not send a COVER return is not known. All three PCTs provided data for the previous (January to March 2007) quarter and have submitted data for the June to September 2007, due to be published at the end of the month.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Big Lottery Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the money available under the Big Lottery Fund Children's Play initiative has been  (a) committed and  (b) spent.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following figures reflect the proportion of money which has been committed and spent under the Big Lottery Fund's children's play initiative in England.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Programme name  Current value (committed)  Total paid to date (spent) 
			 Play Infrastructure 14,663,933 5,165,269 
			 Playful Ideas 8,183,390 955,632 
			 Children's Play 113,889,266 4,719,106 
			 Total 136,736,589 10,840,007 
		
	
	The total money available for the Children's Play initiative is £155 million. The Big Lottery Fund has committed 88 per cent. of the total available and expect to commit all funds under the play initiative by September 2008.

Big Lottery Fund: Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent press officers the Big Lottery Fund employs; and how many of those are based in its  (a) London headquarters,  (b) regional offices and  (c) offices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Big Lottery Fund currently employ eight full-time press officers. Five in England, one in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and one in Wales. There are no press officers in regional offices.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent press officers were employed in his Department in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are 11 full-time equivalent press officers employed by the DCMS.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff work in his Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Five members of staff work in the DCMS parliamentary branch, and two of them deal solely with Commons and Lords written and oral questions. Correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is not dealt with by parliamentary branch.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on recycling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department is committed to the sustainable operations targets for the Government estate. The Department is to increase its recycling figures to 40 per cent. of their waste arisings by 2010 and to 75 per cent. of their waste by 2020.

English Heritage: Pay

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) members of the management board and  (b) other staff received a salary of more than £99,999 per annum pro rata in (i) his Department, (ii) English Heritage, (iii) the Big Lottery Fund, (iv) the Arts Council and (v) the Royal Parks in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the resource accounts published on the appropriate web sites for the year 2006-07. The links are shown in the
	table.
	
		
			   Links 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8493F432-266C-4690-85C0-DE4FDFDC4D50/0/dcmsresourceaccounts_200607.pdf 
			 English Heritage http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc05/0577/0577.asp 
			 Big Lottery Fund http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc08/0865/0865.asp 
			 The Arts Council http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc11/1103/1103.asp 
			 Royal Parks http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc09/0925/0925.asp

Gambling

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to assess the effect on business of regulations introduced under the Gambling Act 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As part of the DCMS Simplification Plan 2007 (published on 11 December 2007) we are undertaking a measurement exercise to assess administrative burdens on the gambling industry under the Gambling Act 2005. We expect to conclude the exercise in spring 2008, after external scrutiny of the initial findings by an expert panel including representatives from the gambling industry.

Gambling

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the current position and future prospects of the UK gaming machine manufacturing sector.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department is engaging in active and constructive dialogue with the British Amusement Catering Trade Association, the main trade body which represents the gaming machines sector, and other trade bodies with an interest in the sector, such as the Bingo Association and the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, to gain a full understanding of the current trading conditions in the gaming machine sector.
	I have made it clear to these organisations that I will be happy to consider any evidence they can provide, in relation to the difficult trading conditions that some operators say they are currently experiencing, and any proposals for remedial action.
	However, the Government's principal priority remains to protect the public. We will need to be satisfied that any proposals put forward for remedial action by the industry do not have an adverse impact in terms of the licensing objectives of the Act.

Gambling

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Gambling Act 2005 on competition in the gambling market.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A competition assessment of the Gambling Act 2005 was included in the regulatory impact assessment which was published in April 2005 to accompany the Act. In addition, impact assessments were prepared for each piece of secondary legislation required to implement the Act. These are published with the related explanatory memorandum on the Office for Public Sector Information website (www.opsi.gov.uk), and separately on the Department's website (www.culture.gov.uk).

Giant's Causeway

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's responsibility is for ensuring the conformity of the planning application for a visitor's centre at Giant's Causeway with UNESCO's requirement for World Heritage status; what his Department's view is on whether the application is in conformity with that status; what representations his Department received on the matter  (a) before and  (b) after 10 September; what discussions his Department has had with (i) UNESCO and (ii) the Northern Ireland Executive on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My Department's responsibility for World Heritage issues is set out in the concordat with Northern Ireland reproduced as follows. This responsibility includes reporting to UNESCO on all UK World Heritage sites. Discussions on the planning application for a new visitor centre for the Giant's Causeway are still under way and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
	My officials were contacted by DOENI officials on 10 September on which date DOENI officials also wrote to the World Heritage Centre. My officials have remained in contact to discuss details of the planning application process and the responsibilities of my Department as State Party signatory to the World Heritage Convention.
	DCMS officials briefed World Heritage Centre officials in Paris on 15 October. My Department will send a report to the World Heritage Committee by the end of January 2008 for consideration by the World Heritage Committee at its meeting in July 2008.
	I met the Northern Ireland Minister for Environment on 13 December.
	 World Heritage Site Concordat with Northern Ireland
	World Heritage Sites: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will be responsible for the UK Government's overall policy on World Heritage Sites and exercise a co-ordinating role in its relationship with UNESCO on this issue. Within this overall policy each of the devolved administrations will, however, continue to be responsible for identifying individual Sites within their territory, advising the UK Government on their suitability for nomination, and for dealing with issues which may arise about the proper management of those sites. DCMS will chair regular meetings to discuss World Heritage issues of mutual concern.

Government Departments: Flags

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost has been of the review of the rules of flying the Union flag on Government buildings.

Margaret Hodge: No estimate has been made of the cost of the review of the arrangements for flying the Union Flag on UK Government buildings which was carried out in the normal course of the Department's business. The consultation document was produced internally and was published electronically on the Department's website www.culture.gov.uk. We also plan to publish the summary of responses electronically.

Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment the Government have made of the effect of the introduction of late licensing on the work load of accident and emergency departments.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 17 December 2007
	The Department has seen no evidence that longer hours have been responsible for increases in alcohol related admissions. We understand that it is difficult to obtain accurate data as it is a subjective judgment as to whether alcohol is the cause of an accident or injury. However, research into violence related accident and emergency admissions last year concluded there had been a 2 per cent. drop and that licensing reform had not led to increases in violent crime in the night time economy.

Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to reduce the bulk sale of alcohol from off-licences and supermarkets to young people in town centres.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 17 December 2007
	It is unlawful to sell alcohol to young people who are under 18. The last test purchase campaign showed that the failure rate among high risk premises had dropped to under 15 per cent. from a high point of 50 per cent. and we are looking at what more can be done to drive home the message that sales to under 18s will not be tolerated.
	The Government's Alcohol Strategy includes an independent review on the impact of price and promotion on specific alcohol harms in England. The findings are expected to be reported in summer 2008 and the review is expected to include any necessary recommendations for further actions to better protect young people.

Members' Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many letters his Department received from hon. Members and Peers in each session of Parliament since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department does not hold this information in the format requested, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Some of the information required can be found in DCMS annual reports, which can be found online at:
	www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Annual_Reports/
	In addition, the Cabinet Office announces to Parliament details of correspondence performance on an annual basis. The report for 2006 was published on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 101-04WS. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 75-78WS.

Museums and Galleries: Visits

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) (i) UK and (ii) London residents, broken down by socioeconomic group and  (b) non-UK residents who visited (1) museums and (2) art galleries in London in each of the last eight years.

Margaret Hodge: (a) (i) (1) The number of visits to DCMS sponsored museums in London in millions.
	
		
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 UK residents 7.91 11.92 12.27 14.94 16.39 17.02 15.68 17.57 
			 Adult UK residents from lower socioeconomic groups n/a n/a n/a 3.77 3.96 4.31 2.85 2.82 
		
	
	(2) The number of visits to DCMS sponsored art galleries in London in millions
	
		
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 UK residents 7.91 11.92 12.27 14.94 16.39 17.02 15.68 17.57 
			 Adult UK residents from lower socioeconomic groups n/a n/a n/a 1.05 1.25 1.52 1.15 1.52 
		
	
	These figures may contain some visits to museums and art galleries outside London as it is not always possible to disaggregate the data where institutions have branches both in and outside London. The Department holds a single aggregated figure for lower socio-economic groups only and did not collect these data prior to 2002-03. From 2006-07 onwards, socio-economic classification is measured using the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification. Figures prior to 2005-06 may include children.
	 (a) (ii) Figures for the number of visits made to London museums and art galleries by London residents are not held by this Department. However, the 2005-06 Taking Part survey carried out by this Department showed that 30 per cent. of respondents from lower socio-economic groups living in London had visited a museum or gallery at least once in the last year, compared to 28 per cent. of respondents from the same groups who live elsewhere in England. In addition, 61 per cent. of respondents from the higher socio-economic groups living in London had visited a museum or gallery, compared to 50 per cent. of respondents from the same groups in the rest of the country.
	 (b) The number of visits by all non-UK residents to DCMS sponsored (1) museums and (2) art galleries in London in millions
	
		
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Museums 3.48 3.26 6.64 6.22 7.01 8.96 8.57 8.84 
			 Art galleries 3.51 3.49 4.74 4.21 4.28 4.61 4.06 4.35 
		
	
	These figures may contain some visits to museums and art galleries outside London. Figures on the number of UK residents, London residents and overseas residents that visit all museums and art galleries in London each year are not available.

New Opportunities Fund: Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many awards were made from the New Opportunities Fund for physical education and sport in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07; how many have been made in 2007-08; and what the value was of such awards.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table gives the number and value of new awards made in the three years requested. It also gives the number of awards receiving their final payment within the financial year specified, excluding grants that have not yet closed which have received or are receiving payments. The tables use data provided by the Big Lottery Fund.
	
		
			   Number of new awards  Value of awards (£ million)  Awards receiving their final payment within the financial year  Value of payments (£ million) 
			 2005-06 169 46.1 211 250.2 
			 2006-07 4 0.4 378 225.8 
			 2007-08 (to date) 0 0 384 90.8

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projects will be funded from the £290 million allocated to elite and community sport in the Olympic budget.

James Purnell: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 The Home Country Sports Councils will determine how this money is spent on support for elite athletes and coaches, facilities for elite and community use, and community programmes.
	The breakdown of expenditure anticipated by Sport England from 2004-05 to 2008-09, as provided to my Department in the summer 2006, is set out in the table. This includes £50.5 million towards the costs of the Aquatics Centre and Velopark at the Olympic Park.
	
		
			  England  £ million 
			 Elite 48.6 
			 Facilities 63.3 
			 Community 183.0 
			 Total 294.9

Olympic Games 2012: Culture

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect the London 2012 Olympic Games will have on levels of participation in cultural activities; and over what period.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Cultural Olympiad is a key part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. My department is working with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to develop a programme of cultural events which aim to inspire a new generation of young people to participate in cultural activities.
	As this programme develops, consideration will be given to the impact of the programme including the number of people likely to participate in the Cultural Olympiad. LOCOG aims to measure the success of the Games in terms of three core values—adopted following LOCOG's extensive public consultation in the creation of the framework for the Cultural Olympiad. These values are; Celebrating London and the whole of the UK welcoming the world; Inspiring and involving young people and Generating a positive legacy.

People's £50 Million Lottery

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on the bidding process for funds from the People's £50 Million Lottery, broken down by proposed project.

James Purnell: No funds were allocated to any of the 33 projects that applied to the People's Millions programme, other than the development funding allocated to the six projects that progressed to Stage 2 of the application process.
	The projects received development funding designed to meet the costs incurred in developing their projects to meet the stage 2 application requirements of the People's Millions programme. The money was used to pay for the project summary against the programme priorities, business plan, stakeholder management plan, feasibility study, project execution plan, detailed costs plans, funding strategy, risk register and management plan, detailed design brief, outline design, procurement strategy and planning consent.
	Development funding was one of the unique features of the People's Millions. It was put in place to provide applicants with the necessary support to develop their plans. The intention was that, where projects were not successful they would, as a result of the development funding, be in a much improved position to seek funding from other sources because their project had progressed further.
	Following is the breakdown of the individual projects development funding:
	
		
			   Received (£) 
			 Black Country Consortium Ltd.: A Million People—Black Country as an Urban Park 499,939 
			 Eden Project: The Edge 500,000 
			 Nottingham county council: Sherwood Forest—The Living Legend 500,000 
			 Sustrans: Connect 2 500,000 
			 Somerset county council: Waterlinks 500,000 
			 The board of trustees of the Science Museum: Inspired 500,000

Portable Antiquities Scheme

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council's proposal not to increase the funding of the Portable Antiquities Scheme on reporting of finds; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) is funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and so any decisions on its future funding are a matter for the MLA.
	The MLA intends to maintain current levels of support for 2008-09, while considering options for future funding in the context of wider priorities for museum collections and public participation. It is for the MLA and PAS to determine how best to use the resources available.

Portable Antiquities Scheme

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of jobs at the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) of the plans of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council not to increase the PAS's funding.

Margaret Hodge: I have made no assessment of the effect on the number of jobs at the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) of the plans of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to maintain funding for PAS next year at its current level. The PAS is funded by the MLA and so any decisions on its future funding are a matter for the MLA. The MLA intends to maintain current levels of support for 2008-09, while considering options for future funding in the context of wider priorities for museum collections and public participation.

Sport

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria are used to determine whether an activity constitutes a sport; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England's criteria for funding sport, under the Government's current Public Service Agreement (PSA 3), recognises those sports and moderate intensity physical activities which have positive health and wider social benefits.
	Sport England is currently developing a new strategy to build a world class community sports infrastructure for 2008-11. As part of this work, it is considering what activities should fall within its remit to fund sport.

Television: Licensing

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will extend the television licence fee concessionary scheme to refuge centres that shelter women and children from domestic violence.

James Purnell: holding answer 10 December 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Member for St. Helens, South (Mr. Woodward) on 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 45W.

Tourism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the expected number of foreign tourists coming to the UK in each year until 2013; and what proportion he estimates will be directly related to the Olympics.

Margaret Hodge: VisitBritain's latest forecasts are that the numbers of inbound visitors to the UK will be 31.7 million for 2007, and 32.3 million for 2008. The proportions of these totals which represent Olympic-related visitors are negligible for these years, at this stage of the preparations for the London games.
	VisitBritain advises DCMS that numerical forecasts for later years, based on average international growth rates, are not reliable. This is due to the variety of factors which affect visitor levels to particular countries. DCMS agrees with that position.
	Olympic-related visitor growth rates were projected in The Value of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to UK Tourism, a study jointly commissioned by VisitBritain and Visit London in September 2007. The study projects Olympic-related increases and decreases in total visitor numbers to the UK as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2011 -1.0 
			 2012 +3.0 
			 2013 +1.5 
			 2014-17 +1.0 a year

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Data Protection

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many electronic databases held by his Department contain  (a) names,  (b) addresses,  (c) bank details and  (d) other personal information of members of the general public; and when each such electronic database was created.

Anne McGuire: The Department does not record in its electronic databases personal information about members of the general public. Personal information, including names, addresses and bank details is only recorded in respect of customers of the Department. In particular, bank details are only recorded where this is required in order to process claims for benefit, make payments or carry out other financial transactions. The Department lawfully records personal data in many different types of electronic database. Details of these are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many security breaches regarding access to personal data have occurred within his Department in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many staff have access to electronic databases held by his Department, which contain personal information on members of the general public, broken down by grade;
	(3)  how many times databases held by his Department, containing personal information on members of the general public have been accessed in each month for the last five years;
	(4)  what provisions his Department has in place to ensure that databases containing personal information on members of the general public are not accessed  (a) by unauthorised steps and  (b) for unauthorised purposes.

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what categories of claimants have their records protectively marked as supervisor access only by his Department.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many requests his Department has received from the National Audit Office for access to databases containing personal information on members of the general public in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: As required under the National Audit Office Act of 1983 and the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000, the Department provides access to its records relating to the income, expenditure and liabilities appearing in the accounts. The National Audit Office has regular and routine access to all departmental records, including individual records which contain personal account data.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated cost of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines is.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies has four sets of Corporate Identity; the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service and the Child Support Agency. These guides are available to staff in electronic format copies have been placed in the House Library. The estimated total cost of producing these guidelines is £42,500.
	Compliance with branding guidelines is the responsibility of all staff within the Department and as such providing an estimation of these costs across the Department can be made only at a disproportionate cost.

Disabled Workers: Remploy

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the proposed Remploy restructuring on disabled workers in Teesside; what steps he plans to take to ensure the economic security of such workers; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Remploy carried out a full equality impact assessment on the modernisation proposals. A full account of the assessment can be found on Remploy's website at www.remploy.co.uk and a copy is being placed in the House Library.
	I have also given an assurance that there will be no compulsory redundancies for disabled employees and they can continue to enjoy their current terms and conditions with Remploy, as well as membership of the pension scheme.
	During individual consultations, Remploy's disabled employees will be given a range of options, including a suitable alternative job, if they wish. The company will monitor the progress of those disabled people supported into jobs with mainstream employers, to ensure suitability and provide further support if necessary.

Incapacity Benefit

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department monitors the effectiveness of those medical assessments used in determining eligibility for incapacity benefit; in how many cases the outcomes of those medical assessments were appealed against in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department monitors the effectiveness of the medical assessments through the rigorous monitoring of performance against contractual targets and standards, covering a variety of aspects relating to throughput, quality and customer service. Information about appeals against the outcomes of medical assessments is in the following table.
	
		
			  Appeals lodged against the incapacity benefit (IB) personal capability assessment (PCA) 
			   Number 
			 2000-01 40,770 
			 2001-02 47,470 
			 2002-03 53,130 
			 2003-04 56,510 
			 2004-05 54,580 
			 2005-06 56,220 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are subject to change as more up-to-date data become available. 2. Cases transferred on to the new appeals system G2 from 2006 may not have been updated on GAPS. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 5. IB and PCA figures are only available from 2000 onwards. 6. Figures are not available after 2005-06 as data are not available from the G2 processing system.  Source: 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (GAPS).

Sick Leave: Arthritis

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of working days lost due to rheumatoid arthritis in each of the last five years; and at what overall cost to the economy.

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	We have made no estimate of the number of working days lost due to rheumatoid arthritis. Information on the overall cost to the economy of rheumatoid arthritis is not collected.

Social Security Benefits: Personal Records

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what categories of personal data relating to members of the public  (a) his Department and  (b) agencies of his Department hold.

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which agencies and organisations have access to personal data held by his Department or its agencies; and which agencies and organisations were provided with such data in each of the last two years.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 The categories of personal data relating to members of the public held by the Department and its agencies, and the organisations and other agencies that are provided with personal data by the Department, are set out in the Department's formal registration with the Information Commissioner, and available on the Commissioner's public website:
	www.ico.gov.uk.

Social Security Benefits: Personal Records

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what  (a) procedures and  (b) protocols govern the transfer of personal data by his Department to (i) other Government Departments, (ii) local authorities and (iii) Government agencies;
	(2)  on how many occasions CDs containing personal data of benefit recipients have been sent by his Department to  (a) other Government Departments,  (b) agencies and  (c) the National Audit Office in each of the last three years; and how many of those CDs were (i) encrypted and (ii) password protected.

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of benefit recipients whose personal details have been misdirected or mislaid by his Department or may otherwise be at risk of becoming victims of identity fraud due to error or omission by his Department in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's Agencies in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what  (a) procedures and  (b) safeguards his Department and its agencies have in place to ensure the secure storage and transfer of personal information about benefit claimants;
	(2)  what procedures his Department put in place on  (a) dealing with requests by and  (b) transferring personal data to (i) other Government Departments, (ii) public bodies and (iii) others.

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what security breaches there have been at his Department's Newcastle office in relation to the personal data of those claiming benefits administered by local authorities; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the security of the data-sharing processes between local authorities and his Department; and whether any data have been compromised during such procedures in the last five years.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Social Services: Autism

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) guidance and  (b) training is provided to social services staff dealing with people with autism.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	"Better services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice" was published on 16 November 2006. It clarifies the nature and intent of existing Government policy as it relates to adults with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This guidance is available to social services staff dealing with people with autism. A copy is available in the Library.
	It is for local authorities to provide training and guidance for social services staff, taking into consideration locally identified needs and priorities, and assessments of individuals.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many divorced women receive a state retirement pension; what estimate he has made of the number of these who have enhanced their pension by substituting the national insurance record of their ex-husband; by what means his Department informs divorced women of their right to make such a substitution for the period of their marriage; what assistance his Department gives to such women unable to supply their ex-husband's national insurance number; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the numbers of divorced women in receipt of state pension is not available as information on marital status is not required for payment of benefit.
	At the new claim stage if a claim form shows that a woman is divorced, and does not have 100 per cent. basic state pension in her own right, substitution is automatically considered, subject to establishing the ex-husband's national insurance record and details. The customer is notified of the award and how her state pension was calculated, including any substitution calculation.
	If divorce occurs after the award of state pension, the customer should inform the Pension Service of her change of circumstances as advised on the entitlement notice. If appropriate a substitution calculation will be automatically considered.
	If the customer is unable to provide the national insurance number for her ex-husband the Pension Service will try to trace the details using their name, date of birth and last known address. If this proves unsuccessful they write to the customer to inform her of the situation and to request any other information which could assist them. In the rare event that all tracing methods prove unsuccessful they would be unable to perform the substitution.

State Retirement Pensions: Personal Records

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of state pensions have had their personal data disclosed to third parties in error in the last two years.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 517W.
	In addition, there was an incident in July 2007, where 7,800 state pension customers were sent a cheque payment intended for another customer.
	In each case, prompt action was taken to apologise, and replace cheques where appropriate so as to minimise the impact on these pensioners. The Information Commissioner was informed.

TRANSPORT

A14: Cambridge

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects contractors to be appointed in relation to the upgrading of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The appointment of the contractors for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme is planned for early in the new year.

A30: Bodmin

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department is carrying out into the possibility of dualling the A30 between Temple and Bodmin.

Tom Harris: the Highways Agency is not currently working on any plans to improve this section of road as the South West region did not identify the scheme as a priority in their regional funding allocation advice.
	We are planning to ask the regions in 2008 to look at their priorities again and come back and tell us whether those priorities have changed.

A30: Bodmin

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of road safety on the A30 between Temple and Bodmin.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency continually monitors safety on its roads with a view to implementing improvements as priority allows. The accident rate for this length of the A30 is slightly less than the national average for single carriageways. No accident cluster-sites have been identified within this length.

A303: Public Participation

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the total cost has been to her Department and its predecessors of all  (a) public enquiries,  (b) consultations,  (c) consultancy fees,  (d) public exhibitions,  (e) information initiatives,  (f) publicity and  (g) other costs in connection with proposals to upgrade the A303(T) from Countess Road roundabout to west of Chicklade since 1986;
	(2)  what the total cost has been to her Department and its predecessors of  (a) public enquiries,  (b) consultations,  (c) public information initiatives,  (d) consultancy fees and  (e) other costs incurred in connection with the A303(T) trunk road improvement project and the proposed new visitors' centre at Stonehenge since 1986.

Tom Harris: holding answer 17 December 2007
	The length of A303(T) from Countess Roundabout to west of Chicklade covers three potential major schemes: Stonehenge Improvement, Wylye to Stockton Wood Improvement and Chicklade Bottom to Mere Improvement.
	It is not possible to allocate precise figures to the categories of expenditure the hon. Member requested because Highways Agency records are not broken down in that way, but in round terms, the total approximate cost of expenditure incurred since 1990 for public inquiries, consultation, consultancy fees, public exhibitions, information initiatives, publicity and other costs in connection with proposals to upgrade these schemes is £21.85 million.
	The Stonehenge Visitor Centre proposal is a separate project led by English Heritage. The Highways Agency is therefore, unable to provide this cost information.

A303: Stonehenge

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost was of the proposed northern route to divert road traffic from Stonehenge.

Tom Harris: The estimated cost of the Northern Route option for improving the A303 past Stonehenge was £317 million, assuming a start of construction in 2010 and a forecast inflation rate of 4.5 per cent. per annum beyond a price base of 2006. This information is available in the Scheme Review—Stage 2 Report, published on the Department for Transport website.

A303: Stonehenge

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been to  (a) her Department and  (b) the Highways Agency of preparatory work on the A303 Stonehenge improvement scheme since July 2005.

Tom Harris: Since July 2005, the Department of Transport and the Highways Agency have incurred costs of £2.5 million in undertaking further work related to the A303 Stonehenge Improvement scheme. This figure excludes the time of departmental officials which cannot be separately identified.

Airports

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to bring forward secondary legislation to make  (a) Luton airport and  (b) other airports designated airports.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Independent Review of Airport Policing completed last year, concluded that the current system of designation of airports for police purposes was outdated and unfit for purpose. The Government fully accepted this finding. We are working with stakeholders to deliver a solution which ensures that airports and the police can work together to identify where a police presence might be required and how industry will pay for this. This will require a legislative solution.

Airports: Heathrow

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely economic effects of the proposed expansion of Heathrow on  (a) BAA airlines and aviation-related industries,  (b) businesses working on the expansion of the airport,  (c) London residents and  (d) people outside London.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The economic assessment of additional capacity at Heathrow is set out at Annex B of the consultation document 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport' (November 2007). The current approach does not take into account the benefits to airlines of additional capacity over and above the welfare benefits to its passengers. It also excludes benefits to businesses working on the expansion of the airport.
	The analysis suggests that a third runway at Heathrow would generate around £17.1 billion worth of economic benefits in terms of net present value. We have not separately quantified how the benefits are distributed between Londoners and people outside London.

Airports: Heathrow

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposed Heathrow expansion would result in an increase in the number of night flights.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The existing night flights regime lasts until 2012. This provides for no increase in the number of movements and a gradual reduction in noise as quieter aircraft are introduced. Decisions on the night regime to apply beyond 2012 will be subject to separate consultation and do not depend on the capacity of runways.

Aviation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the contribution made to the UK economy by transit passengers using UK airports in the last period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not available.

Aviation: Noise

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is considering to improve the reliability of measurement of aircraft noise.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Annual aircraft noise contours—which connect points having the same average noise exposure—are produced for the Department by the Environmental Research and Consultancy Department (ERCD) of the Civil Aviation Authority. Contours are generated by a computer model validated against actual noise measurements in line with latest internationally recommended guidance.
	Future predictions, such as the contours for various possible scenarios in the Adding Capacity at Heathrow airport consultation, rely on assumptions about the likely fleet mix and are therefore necessarily indicative. I am nevertheless satisfied that ERCD's noise modelling, whether historical or prospective, is reliable and robust.

Aviation: Railways

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on the demand for domestic flights of constructing new high-speed rail lines in the UK.

Tom Harris: The Department has made no detailed quantitative assessment of the effect on the demand for domestic flights of constructing new high speed rail lines in the UK.
	The Government recognise that rail can provide a useful alternative to air travel especially over shorter distances. But many domestic flights provide connections into the international network at airports such as Heathrow, providing benefits to the UK regions and helping to maintain UK competitiveness.

Cars: Exhaust Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government has taken to encourage more people to buy environmentally friendly cars since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Incentives to encourage the purchase of cleaner vehicles include:
	Vehicle Excise Duty, which is graduated according to a car's CO2 emissions;
	Company Car Tax, which is also geared to CO2 emissions;
	and
	the cost of fuel.
	These incentives relate to running costs rather than purchase cost but they have a direct effect as considerations when purchasing a vehicle. In March 2007 the Department for Transport launched the Act On CO2 communications campaign providing information to consumers on purchasing new cars including the 'Best on CO2' top 10 rankings in association with What Car? This reinforces the introduction of more informative labelling in car showrooms in 2005.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is her Department's policy to use  (a) incandescent light bulbs and  (b) LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has no specific policy on this matter. However, where use is permitted all such items must be subject to portable appliance testing. In addition, items must be fixed securely, switched off overnight and should not have trailing wires.

Crossrail Line

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the decision to fund Crossrail has had on the status of other  (a) road and  (b) rail projects.

Tom Harris: Crossrail has formed a key element of the Department for Transport's infrastructure investment plans for several years. As such, confirmation of the funding package has not affected plans in other areas.

Crossrail Line: Maidenhead

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost of extending Crossrail from Maidenhead to Reading; whether the upgrade of Reading station has had an effect on that cost; and what estimate she has made of the cost of adapting Maidenhead as the station at the end of the Crossrail line.

Tom Harris: The current capital cost estimate of extending Crossrail from Maidenhead to Reading is approximately £360 million in outturn prices.
	The effect of the Reading upgrade project, which also includes re-signalling from Maidenhead to Reading, would be to reduce the cost of extending Crossrail to Maidenhead by approximately £50 million in outturn prices. The vast majority of that cost reduction would stem from the re-signalling works; only a small part of it relates to works at Reading station itself.
	The current capital cost estimate of the Crossrail works at Maidenhead station is approximately £70 million in outturn prices.

Cycling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government have taken to encourage more people to ride bicycles to work since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The Government remain firmly committed to increasing cycling as it is a healthy, environmentally friendly transport mode.
	We have taken many initiatives to encourage increases in cycling including some specific measures to increase cycling to work since 1997. These include encouraging local authorities who are responsible for the roads on which most cycling takes place to develop local cycling strategies and improved cycle networks through increased Local Transport Plan settlements. Local authorities outside London increased their spend on cycling, from £29.5 million in 2001-02 to £36 million in 2005-06. A report for Cycling England in 2004 showed over 80 per cent. of local authorities had improved their performance in providing facilities for cyclists.
	We have doubled Cycling England's budget to £10 million last year and launched the new national cycle training standard in England 'Bikeability'.
	Cycling England have established the six cycling demonstration towns and many of them are working with employers to encourage cycling to work.
	Employers also have a part to pay in encouraging their staff to cycle to work. Secure cycle parking, showers and changing facilities can support Government initiatives such as the group consumer credit licence we have made available to all UK businesses to enable employers to purchase cycles for their employees to cycle to work and take advantage of tax savings. Around 70,000 people are already participating in the scheme.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport (central) and five of its agencies currently do not record travel expenditure by class of travel. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The two agencies which do record this information between them spent £12,291 on Business Class air travel and nothing on First Class air travel in the last 12 months.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by her Department on international flights in each year since it was established.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.
	Information in respect of flights taken by officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in her Department in each year since 2000; and what estimate she has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result;
	(2)  how many air miles were travelled by  (a) the Secretary of State and  (b) Ministers in her Department on short haul flights over the last year; and what estimate she has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result of these flights.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code" .
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what data her Department  (a) shares,  (b) is in discussion to share and  (c) has been approached in the last 12 months to share with other Government Departments; and which Departments have requested information.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport takes the issues of privacy and data security extremely seriously, and keeps its policies on data sharing under active review.
	 The Department for Transport shares the following main categories of data with Government Departments (for reasons of national security, some data may not be included):
	Driver details (as it appears on the driving licence); Vehicle registration details (including vehicle keeper data); Personal data of property owners who might claim compensation payments when highways schemes are developed, Driver trainer details; Driving applicant details including test results; Type approval data (e.g. vehicle type, subject approval, manufacturers details, enforcement reports); Names of departmental and DfT stakeholder contact details for both work and out of hours; Defence and Civil Contingency Planning; Hydrographic data of UK seabed; Automatic Identification System for ships (AIS) including Vessel details; Seafarer data and statistics; Maritime vessels using Halon; UK Ships Register; Shipping company and vessel details for Tonnage Tax (e.g. vessel name, flag state, vessel IMO number, training commitment).
	 The Department has arrangements to share the a for e mentioned categories of data as applicable and relevant with specific Government Departments in the following list (again, for reasons of national security, some data may not be included):
	Cabinet Office
	Crown Prosecution Service
	Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	Department for Children Schools and Families
	Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
	Department of Health
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	Forestry Commission
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
	Home Office
	Ministry of Defence
	Ministry of Justice
	Some data sharing also relates directly to the fact that Departments are also employers. As such, they will pass on personal data to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for tax collection purposes; when one of their employees moves to another Government Department, they may also pass personal information on to that Department; they also pass on to the Office of National Statistics the results of human resources statistical surveys. Some staff contact details are shared through the Government Secure Intranet directory.
	The Department also gathers and produces a large amount of non-personal statistical data on travel and transport, and these are published on the DfT website.
	The Department may have responded to other one off requests in the last 12 months for particular data from other Departments. These are dealt with on a case by case basis in the light of the legal requirements and any relevant policy considerations.
	The Department for Transport is having ongoing discussions with other Government Departments such as the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions on how to further advance the Service Transformation Programme (December 2006) and the Government Vision for Information Sharing (September 2006).
	Finally, I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review. An interim progress report on the review was published on 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 98WS by the Cabinet Office through a written ministerial statement. I also refer the hon. Member to the statement of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 626-6 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on measures to improve the security of personal data.

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff work in her Department's parliamentary branch; and what proportion of their time is spent on dealing with  (a) Parliamentary Questions and  (b) correspondence from hon. Members and Peers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are 13 members of staff in the ministerial support unit and parliamentary branch at the Department for Transport. Of these, three spend 90 per cent. of their time dealing with parliamentary questions and eight spend approximately 80 per cent. of their time dealing with correspondence from hon. Members and peers.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table demonstrates how much the Department and its Agencies have spent in the last three years on end of year bonus payments. We have interpreted these to be performance related pay bonuses which are paid in line with Government policy.
	Figures prior to 2004-05 can be produced only at disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2004-05 1,742,136 
			 2005-06 6,872,430 
			 2006-07 9,948,684 
			  Note: These figures exclude: GCDA and DVLA in 2004/05. GCDA only became an agency in 2005 and figures for DVLA in 2004-05 are not available; and VOSA as bonus payment data can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Buildings

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of new buildings approved by her Department were built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method  (a) very good and  (b) excellent standard in each of the last five years; and what the construction cost of those buildings was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 The following data are representative of the new build projects undertaken by the Department for Transport over the last five years.
	
		
			   Build projects  BREEAM rating  Construction cost (£ million) 
			 2003 2 2 x very good 5.3 
			 2004 3 (1)— 13 
			 2005 1 1 x very good 2.4 
			 2006 1 1 x excellent 13.5 
			 2007 9 8 x excellent, 1 x very good 38.2 
			 (1) No assessments undertaken

Departmental Railway Travel

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by her Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and five of its agencies do not record rail travel expenditure by class of travel. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The two agencies which do record this information between them spent £2,236,283 on first class rail travel in the last 12 months.

Driving Under Influence

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to reduce the incidence of drink-driving on UK roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government are committed to reducing drinking and driving through a combination of effective law enforcement, maintenance of a tough penalties regime and continuing investment in high-profile national publicity campaigns.
	We have already given the police new powers to carry out evidential roadside breath testing, subject to type approval of appropriate equipment. This is supported by a number of other measures in the Road Safety Act 2006 which are designed to deter drink driving and reduce reoffending.
	These include enabling powers to require serious, including repeat, offenders to retake the driving test at the end of their period of disqualification; to improve the operation of the drink drive rehabilitation scheme; to close certain loopholes in the law relating to high risk offenders; and to establish a statutory alcohol ignition interlock programme.
	We have recently launched the THINK! 2007 Christmas drink drive publicity campaign which is running in parallel with the seasonal police enforcement campaign. This is a multi-media campaign based around the Moment of Doubt commercial launched this summer, which emphasises the very serious consequences of being convicted for drink driving and provides a powerful deterrent message for potential drink drivers.
	We also intend to consult widely on further measures for tackling drink driving, including ways of making police enforcement easier, and are aiming to publish a consultation paper in the early part of 2008.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average pay increase proposed for the Highways Agency's traffic officers in the 2007 pay round is; and what the retail price index inflation rate at the end of the 2006-07 pay year was.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency is proposing an increase of 5 per cent. for the control room operators and 3.5 per cent. for the on-road traffic officers. The retail price index inflation rate for July 2007 was 3.8 per cent. and the consumer price index rate, which is used by Government, was 1.9 per cent.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the morale of traffic officers within the Highways Agency; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The last agency staff survey in December 2006 did not ask a specific question about morale in the traffic officer service.
	However the survey did ask the question "How satisfied are you with the Highways Agency as a place to work?". The figures in response to this question were— 65 per cent. of traffic officers gave a positive response to the question, while 15 per cent. gave a negative response. 20 per cent. were neither satisfied or dissatisfied.

Highways Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of  (a) traffic officers and  (b) other Highways Agency staff expressed confidence in the agency board in the last staff survey.

Tom Harris: The last Highways Agency staff survey in December 2006 did not include a question about confidence in the Agency's board.

London Bridge Station: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure co-ordination of the upgrade work on London Bridge station and Thameslink in order to minimise disruption to passengers.

Tom Harris: The upgrade of London Bridge station is part of the Thameslink programme. Network Rail has set up a dedicated project team to deliver the necessary infrastructure enhancements, and will be working closely with train operating companies, TfL, and passenger groups to ensure that disruption to passengers is minimised.

London Bridge Station: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost of upgrading London Bridge station.

Tom Harris: The upgrade to London Bridge station forms part of the Thameslink programme, which will be delivered by Network Rail. Construction costs for London Bridge are expected to be around £400 million. There are also management and compensation costs which apply to the Thameslink programme as a whole and which are not allocated to individual elements of the project.

London Bridge Station: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the upgrade of London Bridge station to start; how long she estimates the upgrade to take; and if she will place in the Library the contracts that have been let in relation to the upgrade.

Tom Harris: The works at London Bridge will be delivered by Network Rail, whose current programme shows that preliminary work will start in 2011, substantive works will start after the London Olympics, and the station works will complete during 2015.
	All contracts regarding the upgrade of London Bridge station have been managed and let by Network Rail (and its predecessor organisation Railtrack). As Network Rail is not a public body it is not possible to place any contracts in the Library.

Metronet

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to be in a position to estimate public sector financial impacts of Metronet not fulfilling its contract on the London Underground; and what her policy is on the timetable for considering proposals on tackling such impacts.

Rosie Winterton: The comprehensive spending review 2007 settlement sets out the expected levels of Transport for London grant and borrowing to 2017-18 and makes provision for costs arising from Metronet's administration. It is now for Transport for London to manage their costs and priorities within their overall financial envelope.

Network Grant New: Wales

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimated proportion of the budget for Network Grant New is to be spent in Wales in 2007-08.

Tom Harris: Government direct grants to Network Rail (NR) are not allocated to the company on a regional or territorial basis. However, historic expenditure by NR on rail infrastructure on a route by route basis, including those parts of the network in Wales, are published in NR's Annual Return which is available on their website at:
	www.networkrail.co.uk.

Network Rail: Cost Effectiveness

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds will accrue to her Department as a result of any cost efficiencies achieved by Network Rail.

Tom Harris: No funds will accrue to the Department. Any Network Rail efficiency savings in excess of those required by the Office of Rail Regulation in setting Network Rail's income are re-invested by the company in the railway or used to reduce its debt.

Public Transport: Elderly

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government have taken to increase accessibility of public transport for elderly and disabled people.

Rosie Winterton: There has been significant progress in making public transport accessible to elderly and disabled people through regulations made under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. For a number of years all new buses, coaches and trains have had to meet accessibility standards and 58 per cent. of buses and over 40 per cent. of trains now do so. The entire national fleet of buses must meet accessibility standards by 2017, and trains by 2020.
	We have made available £370 million to Network Rail to improve station accessibility by 2015, with over 90 stations already identified for improvement by 2011.
	In December 2006 we extended civil rights to disabled people so that they can expect to be treated fairly and without discrimination when using land-based public transport. We have also been working at the international level to improve accessibility to air transport.
	As well as physical accessibility, we are addressing elderly and disabled peoples' concerns by improving concessionary fares provision. Since 1 April 2006, people aged 60 and over and disabled people have been entitled to free bus travel within their local authority area from 9.30 am Monday to Friday and all day at weekends. The statutory minimum concession will be extended to allow free off-peak travel on local buses anywhere in England from 1 April 2008.

Public Transport: Safety Measures

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government have taken to improve passenger safety on public transport since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The Government, the transport industry, local authorities and others are investing in and undertaking wide-ranging initiatives to improve the personal security of transport staff and passengers.
	Since 1997, the Government have developed and introduced the Secure Stations Scheme, which is designed to improve personal security at overground and underground rail stations. Guidance has also been issued to the rail industry on how to improve personal security on trains.
	The Safer Travel on buses and coaches Panel (STOP) was set up in 2002. The panel is currently working on an update to earlier guidance it has produced, in the form of a toolkit that will help local authorities and operators tackle antisocial behaviour on buses.
	A range of good practice guidance has been produced to interested parties who are involved in reducing crime and the fear of crime on the public transport system. This includes guidance on how best to use the legal system, and a guide to protecting bus and coach crews. We are also continuing to encourage Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to help tackle crime committed on public transport.

Railway Track

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 20W, on railway track, which 13 properties BRBR have disposed of which contain disused railway lines.

Tom Harris: The locations of the properties in question, along with details of the purchaser are as follows.
	
		
			  Property  Note 
			 Awre (Gloucs) Auction 
			 Brize Norton Sale to Sustrans 
			 Cassington (Oxon) Sale to Sustrans 
			 Collyhurst (Manchester) Auction 
			 Cranmore Sale to East Somerset Railway 
			 Dalston (London) Auction 
			 Darite (Cornwall) Sale to Sustrans 
			 Greetland (W. Yorks) Auction 
			 Lechlade Sale to Sustrans 
			 Montrose Auction 
			 Paisley Sale to adjoining owner 
			 Sennybridge (Powys) Auction 
			 Ynysybwl (South Wales) Sale to Sustrans

Railways: Reading

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost of electrification of the railway between Reading and Maidenhead.

Tom Harris: The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has carried out a study of the costs and benefits of electrification, including the Great Western Main Line. Although Reading to Maidenhead was not estimated separately, a cost in the order of £50-£70 million could be expected for this section of route on the basis of the rates used.

Railways: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 430W, on railways: standards, how many passengers provided feedback to the ergonomic study relating to  (a) medical matters and  (b) comfort; and how the customer feedback was obtained.

Tom Harris: The ergonomic study was carried out by Stagecoach South Western Trains Ltd. The hon. Member should direct his inquiry to:
	Stewart Plamer, Esq.
	Managing Director
	Stagecoach South Western Ltd.
	Friars Bridge Court
	41-45 Blackfrairs Road
	London
	SE1 8NZ

Roads: Accidents

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of road traffic accidents in West Chelmsford constituency resulted from  (a) speeding,  (b) excessive alcohol consumption and  (c) drug abuse in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available at constituency level.

Roads: Accidents

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to reduce the incidence of road deaths and serious injuries arising from road traffic accidents among young people in Cumbria.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government announced in February, the intention fundamentally to review the driver testing and training system with the aim of improving the way driving is taught and assessed as part of the Government's effort to reduce all road casualties. Work continues to inform this and we plan to consult publicly as soon as practicable.
	The Department continues to campaign on road safety issues relevant to young drivers. For example, we are running a Christmas drink-driving campaign based on new material launched this summer and we have revived an influential rear seat belt wearing TV commercial.

Roads: Accidents

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents there were  (a) in total and  (b) involving road freight on the (i) M1, (ii) M2, (iii) M6, (iv) M20, (v) M25, (vi) M60, (vii) M62, (viii) A14 and (ix) A1(M) in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The total number of road traffic accidents including the number involving road freight is not available.
	The total number of road traffic accidents that have resulted in personal injury (PIAs) in each of the last five years and the number involving at least one heavy goods vehicle (HGV), that is a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes gross weight, on the M1, M2, M6, M20, M25, M60, M62, A1(M), A1, and A14 are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  All  PIA  accidents 
			  Road  M1  M2  M6  M20  M25  M60  M62  A1(M)  A1  A14  Total 
			 2002 1,430 69 1,058 180 1,227 239 411 219 826 400 6,059 
			 2003 1,403 91 993 189 1,136 233 482 189 838 383 5,937 
			 2004 1,351 104 1,122 203 1,239 245 433 158 823 402 6,080 
			 2005 1,333 90 1017 207 1,254 221 431 201 757 383 5,894 
			 2006 1,146 89 961 210 1,083 245 411 282 680 334 5,441 
			 Total 6,663 443 5,151 989 5,939 1,183 2,168 1,049 3,924 1,902 29,411 
		
	
	
		
			  HGV  PIA  accidents 
			  Road  M1  M2  M6  M20  M25  M60  M62  A1(M)  A1  A14  Total 
			 2002 427 10 325 70 431 51 113 68 205 145 1,845 
			 2003 387 21 349 81 417 74 140 55 179 121 1,824 
			 2004 407 23 406 99 426 56 150 41 190 142 1,940 
			 2005 386 13 361 68 479 59 107 51 160 141 1,825 
			 2006 356 13 351 74 397 67 108 63 136 121 1,686 
			 Total 1,963 80 1,792 392 2,150 307 618 278 870 670 9,120

Roads: Accidents

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving  (a) cyclists,  (b) pedestrians and  (c) road freight occurred in England in each of the last five years, broken down by police authority area.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A table showing the number of reported personal injury road accidents involving  (a) cyclists,  (b) pedestrians and  (c) goods vehicles that occurred in England in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Accidents

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there were involving Class 3 vehicles in each year since 2000.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not currently collect national data on the number of accidents involving class 3 vehicles. However, in 2006, the Department published research into the use of class two and three mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs. Based on the evidence gathered, the Department does not believe that class 3 vehicles have a significant impact upon road safety at this point in time but continues to monitor the situation.

South West Trains

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of changes in congestion on South West Trains rail services following the decision not to allow South West Trains use of old Eurostar platforms at Waterloo station; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: A decision not to allow Stagecoach South Western Trains (SSWT) rail services to make use of Waterloo International terminal has not been made.
	It is primarily the railway infrastructure outside Waterloo that limits the number of trains that can use the station rather than the number of platforms. Therefore the need is to run longer trains rather than more trains. So we are planning a large scheme to make all the platforms long enough to accommodate 10 and 12 car trains and to modify the junction layout on the approaches to the station. Such a scheme would allow the use of up to 50 per cent. longer trains than currently use the short platforms and would result in a large increase in capacity. The scheme also presents opportunities at Waterloo International to reconfigure the passenger circulation space and the interchange with other transport modes, and to better integrate the station into the surrounding area. Such an ambitious scheme requires very detailed planning to make the most of this unique opportunity.
	In order to make the best use of the facility in the meantime, the Department is working closely with Network Rail and SSWT to finalise the design and costs of the partial conversion of Waterloo International to accommodate some domestic services. Therefore some services could use platform 20 of Waterloo International from the timetable change date in December 2008.

Thameslink Railway Line: Consultants

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on consultants for work relating to the Thameslink programme since 1998.

Tom Harris: Prior to July 2005, the Strategic Rail Authority managed the Thameslink project who spent approximately £5.9 million on consultants.
	The Department took over the project from the SRA in July 2005, since when it has spent £1.3 million on consultants.

Transport

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government has taken to understand the travel  (a) needs,  (b) behaviour and  (c) aspirations of each section of the community.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport's aim is transport that works for everyone. It is committed to understanding the transport needs of all social groups and has a wide-ranging programme of work to support this.
	In June 2007, the Department published an evidence-based review on mobility, which looked at travel choices, behaviour and attitudes, as well as barriers to travel and measures to overcome barriers for different social groups, including children and young people, adults on low income, those living in rural areas, black and minority ethnic groups, women, disabled people and older people.
	In November 2007, the Department also published two research reports looking at travel needs, behaviours and aspirations of older people and young adults.
	These reports can be found on the Department for Transport's website.
	Further research is also currently being undertaken on disabled people's travel needs, behaviours and aspirations.

Transport for London: Finance

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007 to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet,  Official Report, columns 605-6W, on Transport for London: finance, what assessment she has made of the effect on the grant and borrowing totals in each year of the entry of Metronet into administration.

Rosie Winterton: The comprehensive spending review 2007 settlement sets out the expected levels of Transport for London grant and borrowing to 2017-18 and makes provision for costs arising from Metronet's administration. It is now for Transport for London to manage their costs and priorities within their overall financial envelope.

Woodhead Tunnel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will delay any decision on whether to allow cables to be laid in the southerly Woodhead tunnel until the publication of the final Yorkshire and Humber Route Utilisation Strategy.

Tom Harris: The decision on whether to lay cables in the southerly Woodhead tunnel is a matter for National Grid, who owns the tunnel. National Grid's proposal would not preclude future consideration of reopening the route for rail use.

Woodhead Tunnel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the Woodhead tunnel was taken out of railway use.

Tom Harris: The Woodhead route was taken out of use in 1981. This was because of the significant decline in coal and other heavy freight movements across the Pennines and the fact that an alternative route with spare capacity was available between Sheffield and Manchester.

Woodhead Tunnel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential strategic significance of the Woodhead railway tunnel for improving transport links, with particular reference to targets for cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

Tom Harris: No assessment has been made of the potential strategic significance of the Woodhead route for transport uses. Additional capacity on trans-Pennine rail routes is being funded as part of the Government's £15 billion commitment to rail set out in the recent White Paper. The White Paper outlines the contribution rail is making towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Woodhead Tunnel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has conducted an appraisal of the  (a) costs and benefits and  (b) the value for money of reopening the Woodhead tunnel to rail freight against the building of the Mottram-Tintwistle bypass through the Peak District National Park.

Tom Harris: No appraisal has taken place on the costs and benefits of re-opening the Woodhead tunnel to rail freight in the context of the proposed Mottram-Tintwistle bypass. The need for a bypass is driven by regional and local road traffic and environmental factors.

Woodhead Tunnel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will intervene to prevent National Grid from implementing any plans to utilise the Woodhead tunnel for power cables and other purposes which would prevent the tunnel being able to be used in future for rail.
	(2)  if she will commit to safeguarding the trans-Pennine rail route with particular reference to the Woodhead tunnel for future rail use.

Tom Harris: The decision on whether to lay cables in the southerly Woodhead tunnel is a matter for National Grid, who owns the tunnel. There is no case for the Secretary of State to intervene. National Grid's proposal would not preclude future consideration of reopening the route for rail use.

Woodhead Tunnel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the reopening of the Woodhead tunnel with the  (a) Delivering a Sustainable Railway White Paper,  (b) Towards a Sustainable Transport System paper and  (c) Eddington transport study.

Tom Harris: The approach set out in Towards a Sustainable Transport System adopts many of the recommendations made by the Eddington transport study. Proposing a single solution, such as the re-opening of the Woodhead route, to a problem that has not been clearly identified is not compatible with the approach proposed in Towards a Sustainable Transport System or the Eddington report. The rail White Paper—Delivering a Sustainable Railway, published in July 2007 does not identify a need to re-open lines to deliver additional capacity.

Woodhead Tunnel

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to convert any of the Woodhead tunnels to road use.

Tom Harris: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 There are no plans to convert the Woodhead tunnels to road use.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications his Department has had with injured personnel who received their injuries during service in Afghanistan and Iraq since January 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: From the point of wounding to discharge from medical care, the progress of all injured personnel is managed and monitored by the Defence Medical Services (DMS), to ensure that they receive appropriate treatment and care at every stage. Patients are kept informed of the progress of their treatment, and the likely course that it will take. Welfare staff and single service representatives also maintain the appropriate links between the patients and their home units when they are in hospital or receiving treatment elsewhere, such as at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court.
	For those who have left the armed forces we have, since the beginning of 2007, put in place arrangements for the Department's Veterans Welfare Service to monitor those discharged with a seriously disabling injury; this covers cases of both physical and psychological injury. While this monitoring is primarily focused on welfare matters, the service will identify relevant sources of assistance where there is a medical issue.
	Finally, Ministers themselves often meet injured personnel and their families, both when visiting operational theatres, and in medical facilities back in the UK.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) commanders and  (b) foot soldiers surrendered to (i) the International Security Assistance Force and (ii) the Afghan National Army in each month during 2007.

Des Browne: The Ministry of Defence does not collect the information requested.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  who decided that details of the Musa Qaleh operation should not be released for reasons of operational security;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of whether the operational security of the Musa Qaleh operation was breached by the Sunday newspapers and by radio and television over the weekend of 8 and 9 December 2007.

Des Browne: It is MOD policy not to release details of future operations because this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces. Media reporting over the weekend 8 to 9 December did not prejudice the conduct of the Musa Qaleh operation.

Armed Forces

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the average length of service of serving soldiers is;
	(2)  what the average age of retirement for a soldier was in the last period for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: The average length of reckonable service for a serving Regular Army soldier as at 1 March 2007 is nine years and two months.
	The average age of retirement for a Regular Army soldier on completion of service, based on the soldiers completing service between 1 April 2006 to 28 February 2007, is 41 years and four months.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial contribution his Department has made to the  (a) Army,  (b) Sea and  (c) Air Cadets for each of the last five financial years.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has made the following financial contribution to the various cadet forces over the last five financial years:
	
		
			   million 
			  Financial year  Sea Cadets  Army Cadets  Air Cadets 
			 2002-03 8.9 37.1 22 
			 2003-04 8.6 37.1 25 
			 2004-05 8.9 35 27 
			 2005-06 9.6 39.2 28 
			 2006-07 8.9 46.2 31

Armed Forces: Health Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving military personnel have been treated as in-patients by the National Health Service over the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what proportion of those admittances were the result of incidents and accidents on frontline deployments.

Derek Twigg: Statistics are not held in the form requested. However, the most recent assessment by the Defence Medical Services of the number of military in-patients being treated at UK NHS hospitals on a particular day (1 November 2007) showed that there were 23 service in-patients being treated in NHS hospitals hosting Ministry of Defence hospital units (MDHUs), and 19 in-patients being treated under the auspices of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) at Birmingham hospitals. A small number of military in-patients will also have been treated at other NHS hospitals. The precise number in this category on a particular day is not recorded centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We assess from earlier data collection that around a further 15 to 25 service personnel are treated as in-patients in NHS hospitals on a typical day, in addition to those in the hospitals hosting the RCDM and MDHUs.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former servicemen and women are in care homes funded by his Department; and what his Department spent on this in 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: There are 70 war pensioners in care homes whose nursing care is funded by the Ministry of Defence. 3.03 million was spent funding this in 2006-07.

Armed Forces: Housing

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by his Department on providing private rented accommodation for service personnel including and above the rank of colonel and their families in each of the last six years.

Derek Twigg: The following table lists the amount that has been spent on providing Substitute Service Family Accommodation for the rank of Colonel and the equivalents in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force broken down for each of the last six years.
	
		
			   Total ( million) 
			 2002 2.366 
			 2003 2.216 
			 2004 2.526 
			 2005 2.964 
			 2006 2.687 
			 2007 up to and including 27 November 1.874

Armed Forces: Housing

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to facilitate owner-occupancy for young servicemen and women and their families.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates a Long Service Advance of Pay scheme that provides a loan to assist service personnel to enter the housing market. Since September 2006, in conjunction with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), the MOD has negotiated Key Worker status for service personnel. This gives them access to the New Build HomeBuy and First Time Buyer Initiative schemes operating in the South, South East and East of England.
	The MOD continues to look for innovative ways to work with the commercial sector to provide bespoke home buyer packages for service personnel who are encouraged to prepare for return to civilian life during their careers by purchasing their own homes. To further assist them, the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) provides service personnel with advice and guidance on all forms of accommodation, public and private.

Armed Forces: Housing

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions in his Department's housing budget on the standards of accommodation provided to service personnel.

Derek Twigg: The MOD is not reducing its spending on service housing accommodation. On the contrary, the Department has increased its expenditure on housing. Total expenditure in 2007-08 is currently forecast above that of 2006-07.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on  (a) maintenance,  (b) refurbishment and  (c) new build in relation to armed forces' accommodation in each of the last five years; what the projected expenditure is over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Although most expenditure on service accommodation is managed by Defence Estates (DE), some expenditure remains in the hands of other top level budget holders, or is contained within private finance initiative (PFI) and this could be separately identified only at disproportionate cost.
	The identifiable costs, covering the requested activities but excluding expenditure in Northern Ireland and overseas, is shown in the following table (figures before 2002-03 are not available).
	
		
			   million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Maintenance of GB housing 92.0 94.7 85.6 104.8 122.4 
			 Upgrade of GB housing to S1FC n/a 8.3 6.0 4.4 12.5 
			 New build-housing in GB and SLA 50.7 156.7 299. 1 241.0 235.7 
			 PFI expenditure 10.6 17.4 19.3 19.l 21.0 
			  Note: Standard 1 for Condition = S1FC. Single Living Accommodation = SLA. 
		
	
	Following the comprehensive spending review (CSR), budgets are currently being set for the next three years. However, the CSR has ring-fenced the 550 million investment on armed forces accommodation over the next three years. The Department has subsequently committed a further 80 million to Single Living Accommodation Modernisation phase 2 in addition to the 335 million programme previously announced.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1 March 2005 his Department's officials have discussed with officials of  (a) the Department of Health,  (b) NATO and  (c) the United States administration planning for a potential influenza pandemic; on what dates those discussions took place; what the content of the discussions was; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The MOD has discussed pandemic influenza planning with officials from NATO and the United States Administration but no central record of the number of occasions was kept.
	The MOD has regular meetings with Department of Health and Health Protection Agency (HPA) officials. An MOD Consultant Public Health Physician is a standing member of the HPA Influenza and Respiratory Programme Board, which meets monthly to discuss influenza pandemic issues such as the latest research, exercises, port health, vaccines, anti-virals and developments.
	In addition, UK National preparations are being co-ordinated by the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS), whose role is to ensure that the UK is resilient in the event of a disruptive challenge such as pandemic flu. Cross-departmental pandemic flu planning has been under way since early-2005 through the MISC 32 Flu Working Group (FWG) which a representative from the MOD attends. At the last meeting of this group on 12 December 2007, the 23(rd) to be held, its name was changed to the Pandemic Flu Implementation Group (PFIG) to signify a step change in its work programme from policy development to policy implementation. Additionally, in the last two years there have been two cross-government pandemic flu exercises; 'Shared Goal'(held in 2006) and 'Winter Willow' (held during January and February this year). The Department was involved in both exercises as part of the central Government response, providing development assistance, personnel to man the COBR cell and Min(AF) representing the MOD at the ministerial Civil Contingencies Committee. In the case of Winter Willow, MOD additionally participated through Joint Regional Liaison Officers (JRLOs) engagement in regional exercise play.

Armed Forces: Pay

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) overpayments and  (b) underpayments there were to Armed Forces personnel in each month since January 2007; and at what cost.

Derek Twigg: The number of over, and underpayments made to armed forces personnel in each month since January 2007 are as follows:
	
		
			  Month  Overpaid  Underpaid  Total 
			 January 161 1,383 1,544 
			 February 70 0 70 
			 March 229 54 283 
			 April(1) 13,908 252 14,160 
			 May(2) 0 1,181 4,521 
			 June 0 90 90 
			 July(3) 2,978 416 3,394 
			 August(4) 0 46,305 46,305 
			 September(5) 0 722 4,971 
			 October 213 50 263 
			 The following notes specifically relate to months with 2,000+ over/underpayments: (1) Following migration of Army data onto the JPA system, a decision was taken not to recover some elements until the migration process had been validated. Recovered in May. (2) The majority of the underpayment were caused by University Officer Training Corps inputs. 3,340 minor errors were encountered due to the non migration of some data elements resulting in minor over or underpayments. Resolved in month. (3) The majority of the overpayments (2,611) were due to double payment of the female clothing grant to reservists (4.50), recovered in October. (4) Comprised 35,553 incorrect deductions of 3.00 in respect of contributions to the discontinued Royal Navy and Royal Marines Dependants' Fund, and 10,752 underpayments of Home to Duty Travel claims for Royal Navy reservists. The former was re-credited to pay accounts in October, and the latter underpayments paid in September. (5) 4,249 additional cases occurred where the incorrect rank on the Joint Personnel Administration system would have generated an incorrect payment. Corrective action was taken in time for the October pay run. 
		
	
	Details of the specific over and underpayments to individuals could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Error rates are expected to decrease as the professional users (unit admin, manpower specialists) gain familiarity with the system and undergo follow on training, consolidating their knowledge with lessons identified from the JPA project and formal user groups both single and tri-service.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the change was in military salaries measured against retail price index inflation in each financial year since 2001-02.

Bob Ainsworth: The percentage change year on year and the change in the retail prices index year on year were as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Change in the average salary  Change in RPI 
			 2002-03 5.0 2.1 
			 2003-04 6.2 2.8 
			 2004-05 2.4 3.1 
			 2005-06 4.2 2.6 
			 2006-07 4.8 3.7 
		
	
	The percentage changes are reported to one decimal place.
	The average salary per financial year from 2001-02 for military personnel has been calculated using (i) the number of full-time equivalent service personnel and (ii) the expenditure recorded in the department's accounts for service salaries and wages. These figures include some allowances, such as separation allowance, and education allowance, which are included with pay.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel are part of the long service advance of pay scheme.

Derek Twigg: 11,800 personnel are members of the long service advance of pay scheme.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's budget is for telephone allowances as part of the deployment welfare package.

Derek Twigg: The Department does not have a specific budget ceiling for telephone allowances. Each eligible Service person is entitled to 30 minutes of publicly funded call time per week. The cost of this call time will vary according to whether the call is made on a cabin satellite telephone, an IRIDIUM satellite telephone, an INMARSAT telephone or by one of several other means and whether the call is made to a UK landline, mobile telephone or to an overseas destination. The amount paid will also vary dependent upon the amount of the allowance personnel use. Moreover, whilst telephone allowances for exercises and enduring tasks such as the Falkland Islands are paid for by the Department, the cost of the telephone allowance for personnel deployed on contingent operations, e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan, is met by HM Treasury and is not paid from the Ministry of Defence budget. For illustrative purposes only, the average amount paid to the welfare communications contractor for the second half of Financial Year 2006-2007, after the allowance had increased to 30 minutes, was 504,000 per month. This would equate to some 6 million per annum.

Armed Forces: Pay

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average pay is for serving soldiers at each rank in the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: The average annual basic pay for trained armed forces' personnel at each rank or rank grouping, based on 2007 rates of pay, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Rank  Average salary () 
			 Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) 221,923 
			 General 158,320 
			 Lieutenant General 122,085 
			 Major General 98,504 
			 Brigadier 87,667 
			 Colonel 74,305 
			 Lieutenant Colonel 64,879 
			 Major 46,863 
			 Captain 38,098 
			 Lieutenant/2(nd) Lieutenant 26,171 
			 Warrant Officer I 40,883 
			 Warrant Officer II/Staff Sergeant 34,845 
			 Sergeant 31,849 
			 Corporal 28,019 
			 Lance Corporal/Private 19,808 
		
	
	The figures refer to service personnel who are on the main pay scales and exclude specialist groups such as Chaplains, Veterinary Officers, Officers Promoted from the Ranks and Medical and Dental Officers. Basic pay refers to salary paid in accordance with an individual's rank, length of service and trade. Specialist pay, allowances and other payments have been excluded. For illustrative purposes Army ranks have been used.
	All armed forces personnel are on incremental pay ranges. The above averages have been calculated by taking the pay bill for the incremental range for each rank or rank grouping and dividing by the number of service personnel on it.
	The post of CDS has its own discrete pay range. Consequently the figure shown is an actual rate and not an average.

Armed Forces: Prosthetics

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what prosthetic limbs his Department provides for servicemen and women for limbs lost in service.

Derek Twigg: Prosthetic limbs supplied are as follows:
	
		
			  Limb  Type  Manufacturer 
			 Knee C-Leg Otto Bock 
			 Knee Rheo Knee Ossur 
			 Knee Smart IP Blatchfords 
			 Knee Mercury Blatchfords 
			 Knee Total Knee Ossur 
			 Knee KX06 4-bar Blatchfords 
			 Knee 3R95 Otto Bock 
			 Foot Variflex Ossur 
			 Foot Ceterus Ossur 
			 Foot VSP Ossur 
			 Foot Flexrun Ossur 
			 Foot Flexfoot Ossur 
			 Foot C-Sprint Otto Bock 
			 Foot Elite Blatchfords 
			 Foot Esprit Blatchfords 
			 Foot C-Walk Otto Bock 
			 Upper limb I-Limb Touch Bionic

Armed Forces: Public Opinion

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on  (a) quantitative and  (b) qualitative opinion research of (i) serving and (ii) former members of the armed forces;
	(2)  what use his Department has made of  (a) focus groups and  (b) other qualitative or quantitative opinion research of (i) serving and (ii) former members of the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: It is in the interests of the MOD to have a good understanding of the realities and concerns facing their personnel. The Ministry of Defence, therefore, conducts a wide variety of research among Serving personnel and former members of the armed forces using internal resources and through outside research and academic institutions.
	These surveys and focus groups, which have been running in various forms for decades, can look at everything from attitudes about Service life to surveys that investigate physical and psychological health. The resulting data form part of the body of evidence that is used to inform the development of policies that better reflect the lives of Service personnel.
	This Research is available across the MOD and Service areas but is not centrally administered so it is not possible to provide total costs for all surveys conducted without disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the original bidders for the Defence Training Rationalisation programme Package 2 will be invited to bid on the revised procurement strategy;
	(2)  whether the change in procurement strategy for the Defence Training Rationalisation Programme Package 2 will require  (a) more time and  (b) additional expenditure for the programme;
	(3)  what the proposed revised procurement strategy for the Defence Training Rationalisation Programme Package 2 is; whether the revised strategy was among the options initially considered; why the strategy initially chosen was not proceeded with; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: As I stated in my written ministerial statement on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 15 WS, Defence Training Rationalisation Package 2 is the subject of further work focusing on how best to improve our accommodation and training facilities to meet the strategic objectives of the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme. A range of options are being considered from a conventional procurement to an adaptation to Metrix's original proposals. At this stage it would be inappropriate to provide further details on the cost, timescale or procurement strategy. However, I shall provide an update on the programme next year when this work has matured.

Armed Forces: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of the work carried out on the Defence Training Rationalisation programme Package 2 by  (a) his Department and  (b) each of the principal bidders.

Derek Twigg: To date the cost of Package 2 work carried out by the Department is approximately 11.5 million. The Department has no visibility of the cost incurred by the bidders.

Armed Forces: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the impact on the  (a) capital and  (b) running costs of the defence training rationalisation programme Package 1 of the elimination of Package 2 from consideration; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: As I stated in my written ministerial statement on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 15WS the Package 2 is the subject of further work focusing on how best to improve our accommodation and training facilities to meet the strategic objectives of the defence training review rationalisation programme. As both Packages remain contractually separate there is no impact on the costs of Metrix's Package 1 proposal as a result of this further work on Package 2.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours each day military units may train at the Otterburn training area.

Derek Twigg: Units may train on the Otterburn Training Area for a total of 300 days per year. During that time dry training (no live firing) can be conducted over the full 24-hour period, seven days a week. Live firing is restricted within the 300 day period as follows:
	
		
			   Times 
			 Summer 0900-1700 and 2000-0001 
			 Winter 1000-1600 and 1800-2200

Armed Forces: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests his Department has received from each of the principal bidders under the Defence Training Rationalisation Programme Package 2 for compensation for nugatory activity; and how much has been requested in  (a) each case and  (b) total.

Derek Twigg: To date no compensation requests for nugatory activity have been received from principal bidders involved in the DTR Package 2 competition.

Charities: Fees and Charges

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a break down of the costs charged to the Army Benevolent Fund for the use of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 22, 23 and 24 September 2006 for the Music on Fire event.

Derek Twigg: Each application for the use of Ministry of Defence land for fund raising or other purposes is considered on its individual merits and an appropriate system of charges is applied. A charge of 7,041.01 was raised against the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) for the use of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, for the Music on Fire Event held in 2006. This total contained VAT of 1,049, commercial insurance of 2,500 and a Defence Estates licence fee of 100. I am withholding a more detailed breakdown of costs as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests. However, the charges reflect an abated figure of the full amount permissible in accordance with Treasury Government accounting rules.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: MOD expenditure on Christmas cards has been:
	
		
			
			 2002 348 
			 2003 1,743 
			 2004 1,664 
			 2005 3,200 
			 2006 1,000 
		
	
	These figures include printing, purchase and postage, but exclude a small amount spent by Defence attachs (for permitted representational purposes) which is not identifiable without disproportionate cost. The sending of Christmas cards at public expense is governed by the principles of Managing Public Money, regulated by departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, and must be in pursuit of specific Defence objectives.
	Staff Christmas parties and building decorations are paid for from non-public funds or staff subscription. The exception is the contracted-out facilities management services for the Main Building and Old War Office Building in Whitehall, which include an annual 5,000 provision for Christmas decorations in reception areas.

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on recycling.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence policy on recycling is fully aligned with the overall objective of Government policy on waste to protect human health and the environment by producing less waste and by using it as a resource wherever possible. Our sustainable approach to waste management involves reduction, re-use and recycling.
	The Department's policy is that non-hazardous waste productsespecially those from officesshould be recycled. This includes, for example, paper, glass, aluminium cans, fluorescent tubes, printer cartridges, and toners. Where suitable recycling infrastructure exists, waste metals, oils, building rubble and similar waste streams should also be consigned to recycling.
	MOD policy is that all procurement decisions should take into account the maximum potential for recycling of procured items, and the maximum use of products based on recycled materials. Use of recycled materials should be considered if they are fit for purpose, meet technical specification requirements and cost the same or less than new products.
	More information on MODs policy on waste management can be found in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 418, the MOD Sustainable Development and Environment Manual, a copy of which can be found in the Library of the House. In addition, MOD has published a Sustainable Waste Management Strategy, which can be found at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/HealthandSafety/DSC/DsandcEnvironmentSustainableDevelopmentDocument Library.htm

Departmental Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Des Browne: Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before their transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 requiring investigation there have been in the last five years in his Department; what the nature of such breaches were; and what the results of the investigations were in each case.

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Marketing

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which personnel are responsible for his Department's public relations.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence Directorate of Public Relations comprises 69 personnel, working across internal and external communication channels. The personnel breakdown as follows:
	
		
			  Personnel 
			 Royal Navy PR (1)15 
			 British Army PR 10 
			 Royal Air Force PR 8 
			 Defence and Schools PR 14 
			 Multimedia and Internal Communications (Bureau) 21 
			 (1 )Including photographers 
		
	
	Accurate information on personnel levels in Defence agencies, top level budget areas, trading funds, joint headquarters, single service commands and military units is not held centrally, and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Postal Services

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many items of post sent by his Department were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Public Participation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 59W, on Departmental Public Participation, if he will place in the Library the findings of the opinion polls conducted by his Department.

Derek Twigg: The results of the top level reputation tracking by Ipsos/MORI are already available in the Library of the House. Results from the other opinion polls listed in my previous answer will be placed there as soon as possible.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Data for the amount of waste generated and recycled in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) over the past five years are outlined in the following table. This is based on partial data, since not all parts of the MOD are yet able to report the amount of waste generated. The information for 2005-06 and the figures for the amount of waste produced and the percentage recycled in 2004-05 were included in the sixth annual Sustainable Development in Government report published by the Sustainable Development Commission. A copy of that report can be found at:
	http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=514
	
		
			   Amount of waste produced (Tonnes)( 1)  Amount of waste recycled (Tonnes)  Percentage recycled 
			 2005-06 69,392 26,696 38.5 
			 2004-05 50,404 11,391 22.6 
			 2003-04 (2) (2) (2) 
			 2002-03 (2) (2) (2) 
			 2001-02 (2) (2) (2) 
			 (1) Waste arisings data are given as the amount produced (weight) in metric tonnes and not in volume (m3). (2) Not known. 
		
	
	The collection of data on the amount of waste produced and the amount of waste streams consigned to recycling continues to improve. The Department is working towards full waste data coverage in line with departmental policy set out in the MOD Sustainable Waste Management Strategy.
	Data for 2006-07 will be reported by the Sustainable Development Commission early in 2008.

Firing Ranges: National Parks

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the licence of each training area which requires a licence from a national park authority expires;
	(2)  how many training areas require licences from a national park authority before military training can be conducted.

Derek Twigg: One of the parcels of land used for military training in the Peak District National Park requires a licence as it is owned by and licensed from the Park Authority rather than a private landowner. Military training in National Parks is usually authorised by a planning consent.
	The licence from the Peak District National Park expires on 17 April 2085. The lease on a parcel of land owned by the Peak District National Park Authority expires on the same date.

Foreign and Commonwealth Nationality Report

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the monthly Defence Analytical Services Foreign and Commonwealth Nationality Report issued since April 1997.

Derek Twigg: Copies of the Defence Analytical Service Agency Nationality of British Army Personnel report has only been published in this format on a monthly basis since April 2005. Copies of these documents will need to be collated. I will place copies of the documents in the Library of the House when the work has been completed.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Recruitment to the civil service is carried out in accordance with the civil service nationality rules, which are available at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/nationality.
	There is no record of any illegal immigrants being discovered working for the MOD during the last 12 months.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government have spent on its own legal  (a) advice and  (b) representation on the inquest into the service personnel killed in the Hercules crash in Iraq; what future costs have been projected; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The total costs that have been charged to MOD for external legal advice and representation in respect of the inquest into fatalities arising from the Hercules crash in Iraq on 30 January 2005 is 25,414.94. This covers bills up to the end of October. No estimate can be provided for the future costs, as it is not possible to predict with any certainty what further work will be required.
	The MOD's own in-house legal advisers have also provided assistance in matters relating to preparation for the Hercules inquest. However, this work will have been done as part of their routine duties and cannot separately be costed.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many chest seals were issued to personnel in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2003.

Derek Twigg: Chest seals are supplied in Team Medic Packs, which are issued from a central pool for both theatres. These are issued to personnel who have been trained to fulfil an extended first aid role within the unit only. The number of packs issued to a unit will depend on the operational context at any given time. There have been no shortages in fulfilling operational demands for chest seals.
	It is possible to provide data on the numbers issued from 2006 only when new information management structures were introduced in theatre. Quantities of chest seals issued to the supply sections of the respective theatres are as follows:
	
		
			   Operation Telic  Operation Herrick 
			 2006 67 294 
			 2007 1,867 2,520 
		
	
	The increase in numbers does not correlate with usage and does not reflect a rise in the number of chest wounds within operational theatres as un-used chest seals can be reissued to incoming units and replacement is required when the packaging, is damaged. Additionally, the introduction of the Team Medic, a combat soldier who has been identified, trained and equipped to take charge of the treatment and evacuation of casualties, has also contributed to the increase in numbers.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which out-of-service dates for  (a) armoured vehicles,  (b) aircraft,  (c) helicopters and  (d) weapons systems will change as a result of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We keep the out-of-service dates of military equipment under review to reflect the impact of operations as well as other factors.

Prisoners of War: Compensation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 312-3W, on prisoners of war: compensation, how many claims under the scheme for compensation for British civilian prisoners of the Japanese came forward after the Elias case; and how many of these have been rejected.

Derek Twigg: As at 10 December, the position with claims for compensation for injury to feelings resulting from having been discriminated against on the grounds of national origin by having had an application under the ex-gratia payment scheme for former Far East prisoners of war and civilian internees rejected under criteria based on place of birth (the birthlink) was as follows:
	Claims received: 299
	Offers of payment made: 208
	Claims rejected: 58
	Claims under consideration: 33
	Reasons for rejections were: that the original claim was made by a surviving spouse; that the claimant had not been a British subject at the time of internment or that they had not been interned; that the claim had not been rejected under the birthlink; and that the claimant had not been discriminated against on the grounds of national origin.

Royal Military Academy: Army Benevolent Fund

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the breakdown was of costs charged to the Army Benevolent Fund for the use of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 22, 23 and 24 September 2006 for the Music on Fire event.

Derek Twigg: Each application for the use of Ministry of Defence land for fund raising or other purposes is considered on its individual merits and an appropriate system of charges is applied. A charge of 7,041.01 was raised against the Army Benevolent Fund for the use of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for the Music on Fire event held in 2006. This total contained VAT of 1,049, commercial insurance of 2,500 and a Defence Estates licence fee of 100.
	I am withholding a more detailed breakdown of costs as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests. However, the charges reflect an abated figure of the full amount permissible in accordance with Treasury Government Accounting Rules.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Aviation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his Department in each year since its establishment; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result;
	(2)  how many miles he and Ministers in his Department travelled on short haul flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result of these flights.

Gareth Thomas: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code. All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	In addition, offsetting the flights of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, and the Prime Minister has been backdated to 1 April 2005.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/government.htm

Biofuels: South West Region

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much energy is produced from miscanthus grass crops in the South West; and how much miscanthus produce is in storage  (a) in energy producing facilities,  (b) in agricultural settings and  (c) underground.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the energy produced from miscanthus or where the harvested crop is stored is not collected.
	On the basis of average yields, the following table estimates the potential yields in tonnes that could be produced in the south-west:
	
		
			Potential yields (in tonnes) in: 
			  Planting year  Hectares (ha) claimed under ECS  Second year (based on 4-10t/(ha)  Third year (10-13/ ha)  Subsequent years (12-16t/ha) 
			 2005 154 620-1,540 1,540-2,000 1,850-2,460 
			 2006 35 140-250 350-450 420-560 
			 2007 677 2,710-6,770 6,770-8,800 8,120-10,830 
			  Notes: 1. The crop is harvested annually after the second year for 15 to 20 years. 2. A further 158 ha were planted under objective 1 from 2000-2007 but an annual breakdown is not available. 3. Miscanthus has a new calorific value, on a dry matter basis, of 17 mega joules/kilogramme. This means that the energy value of 1 tonne of dry miscanthus is equivalent to 0.4 tonnes of coal.

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what land and buildings the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation owns in  (a) Bassetlaw and  (b) Nottinghamshire.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 December 2007
	The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation is a registered charity wholly independent of any Government Department. Information on its current ownership of land and buildings would best be obtained from the organisation itself.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what costs have been incurred by the transfer of the Defence Export Services Organisation to UK Trade and Investment of its responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The cost of machinery of Government changes will be met by relevant Departments within existing departmental budgets.

Departmental Consultants

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecasted total value is of each contract.

Gareth Thomas: Central records indicate that the total value of contracts with external consultants for the current financial year is 8.7 million.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of inquiries received by his Department from the public were responded to within  (a) one week,  (b) 14 days,  (c) 28 days,  (d) two months and  (e) three months in the last period for which figures are available; and in what percentage of cases it took (i) over three months and (ii) over one year to respond.

Gareth Thomas: The Department does not keep statistics on these response times therefore a response could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letters of 25 May, 25 July and 4 September from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare regarding his constituent Mr. Ivor Chivers and his company Eco Solutions.

Gareth Thomas: There have been responses to two of the hon. Member's letters, a third response will be issued shortly. I have asked for all responses to be faxed to the hon. Member's parliamentary office.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were.

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what records are kept by his Department of attempted hacking or suspected cyber attacks or other malicious computer security breaches committed against his Department's computer systems.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many reports have been made to his Department's nominated officers under paragraph 16 of the revised Civil Service Code since its publication on 6 June 2006.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the East Midlands my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 596W.

Departmental Manpower

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many Welsh speakers his Department employs.

Gareth Thomas: The information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what organisations within his responsibilities were discovered to have security staff who were illegal immigrants by the recent review of licences granted by the Security Industry Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To date BERR has not been advised by the SIA of any security staff who are employed by the Department's security contractor who have been or who are illegal immigrants.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the office costs for his Department's special advisers for 2007-08 are expected to be, including costs of support staff; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants work in support of such special advisers.

Patrick McFadden: The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers states that
	In order to enable special Advisers to work effectively, departments may allocate permanent civil servants to provide support of a non-political nature.
	There are three full-time equivalent staff who are directly employed to support BERR's departmental special advisers. All three provide administrative support of a non-political nature in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Information on the cost of these staff cannot be provided. The numbers are so few that to reveal the cost could identify an individual's salary, which is confidential between the individual and the employer.
	Office costs will be accounted for in the 2007-08 departmental annual report and accounts.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people in his Department and its predecessors were paid over 100,000 in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: The number of staff earning 100,000 or more for BERR and predecessor Departments since 2005 is provided as follows. Information before 2005 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of people 
			 2005-06 32 
			 2006-07 44 
		
	
	Salaries of senior staff are reported in the Department's annual resource accounts, copies of which are accessible via the BERR public website.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Gareth Thomas: The Department does not update its branding rules annually. Following the creation of BERR in June 2007, we produced guidelines on using the new logo. A fully revised version of the branding rules is currently being produced. The estimated one-off cost of producing these guidelines is 24,000. My Department will place a copy of this document in the Library when it is available, expected to be around the end of January 2008.1 am unable to identify how much staff time is spent on complying with the corporate guidelines without incurring disproportionate costs.
	Following the establishment of BERR, Companies House has used staff resources of approximately 32,000 on co-branding compliance.
	Insolvency Service has branding guidelines which were produced internally at a one-off cost in staff time of 2,500.1 am unable to identify how much staff time is spent on complying with the corporate guidelines without incurring disproportionate costs.
	UK Trade and Investment's costs in maintaining its brand guidelines are 850.00 per month for hosting on the UKTI website. They estimate that one third of one FTE of their communications' staff time is spent on managing brand guidelines.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.
	(2)  how much and what proportion of its waste his Department and its predecessor recycled in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The following table details the total waste arisings and recovered and recycled weights, where available for the past five years.
	The remaining volume of waste that is not recovered or recycled is accounted for by the fly and bottom ash as a result of incineration. This is then often used in the road construction process.
	
		
			   Total waste arisings  Recovered (kg)  Recycled  Percentage Recovered  Recycled 
			 2002-03 581,630.00 463,630.00 79.7 (recovered and recycled combined) 
			 2003-04 Data unavailable 
			 2004-05 814,323.00 771,236.00 434,108.00 94.70 53.30 
			 2005-06 622,841.00 498,273.00 349,707.00 80.00 56.10 
			 2006-07 530,390.00 424,312.00 281,530.00 80.00 53.00 
		
	
	To further improve recycling across the BERR estate, extended recycling facilities have been rolled out, which captures cans, plastics, paper, card, glass and batteries. Additionally the Department will be trialling the removal of desk bins to encourage staff to segregate waste for recycling.

Departmental Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's policy is on recycling.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has an environmental policy and operates an environmental management system which incorporates its procedures for dealing with waste minimisation and waste disposal. The Department practices the waste hierarchy of prevention, minimisation, re-use, recycling, energy recovery, disposal to landfill.

Departmental Reorganisation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost of  (a) designing and  (b) implementing the usage of the Department's interim logo in use immediately after 27 June was.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to PQ 157389, answered on 25( )October 2007,  Official Report, column 491W, in which I said that costs to date associated with the use of the name of the new Department were approximately 77,000. These included the costs of design, items such as new signage and changes to the website and other electronic media.
	The costs specifically relating to the design of the interim logo (including creating and providing formats for print and web usage) were 11,132.46 excluding VAT.

Departmental Reorganisation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost of  (a) designing and  (b) implementing the usage of the Department's existing logo was.

Gareth Thomas: The cost of designing the current version of the Department's logo was 6,125 excluding VAT.
	As at 21 November 2007, total design and branding costs incurred in setting up BERR were 218,063. These included stationery, IT changes including revised e-mail addresses, new signage, web based changes, new logo and print costs, including the re-launch of BERR on 1 November 2007, and the anticipated cost of branding guidelines, which are expected to be completed in January 2008.

Departmental Stationery

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by his Department on headed paper in each of the last five years; and what the cost per sheet was in each such year.

Gareth Thomas: Central records indicate that spend on headed paper in each of the last five calendar years is as follows (costs include some of the Department's agencies and delivery partners and include news release paper):
	
		
			   Total  (excluding VAT)  Cost per sheet (pence) 
			 2007 6,702 9 
			 2006 6,633 6 
			 2005 7,187 9 
			 2004 29,043 1 
			 2003 26,373 4

Domestic Accidents

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many serious injuries there were in the home in the following age groups  (a) under 16,  (b) 16 to 24,  (c) 25 to 65 and  (d) over 65 in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department stopped collecting this information in 2002. However, information prior to 2002 can be obtained from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Electricity Generation: Wastes

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the volume of emissions generated by the incineration of waste for the purpose of electricity generation compared to the burning of  (a) coal,  (b) gas and  (c) oil for the same purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 December 2007
	The main emissions associated with electricity generation, together with the quantity of electricity generated by fuel in 2005 are shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			   Emissions (thousand tonnes)  
			   Bio-carbon( 1)  Carbon  Carbon monoxide  Nitrogen Oxide  Sulphur Dioxide  Electricity generated (GWh) 
			 Coal 0 31,124 53 315 371 134,848 
			 Oil 0 589 3 11 11 5,135 
			 Gas 0 14,937 9 39 0 152,710 
			 Waste(2) 2,021 322 6 8 3 (3)9,615 
			 (1) Carbon emissions derived from biomass, these are excluded from emissions inventories as they are part of the carbon cycle (2) Waste oils, municipal solid waste, sewage gas, landfill gas, straw and poultry litter. (3) An exact breakdown is not available, this figure includes non-biodegradable wastes, landfill gas, sewage sludge digestion, municipal solid waste combustion, co-firing with fossil fuels, farm waste digestion, poultry litter combustion, meat and bone combustion, straw and energy crops. However it excludes waste products from chemical processes.  Source:  National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2007

Foreign Workers: North East Region

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) direct and  (b) indirect expenditure has been incurred by One in (i) marketing the North East and (ii) offering a programme of assistance to move to the North East to workers from eastern Europe.

Stephen Timms: One NorthEast has invested 16.8 million in marketing the region in the UK and internationally over the last three years (year on year split shown in the following table). This spend includes the Passionate People, Passionate Places regional image campaign, national TV advertising and promoting the region to inward investors in key markets including the USA, India and China. It also covers all national and international tourism marketing which includes campaigns in Australia, Norway, Holland and New Zealand.
	
		
			million 
			 2005-06 5,616.337.65 
			 2006-07 7,239,115.57 
			 2007-08 4,017,830.02 
			 Total 16,873,283.24 
		
	
	One NorthEast has never had a programme targeted at encouraging workers to move to the north-east from eastern Europe.

Fossil Fuelled Power Stations: Planning Permission

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice is provided to local authorities considering applications for new, unabated fossil fuel power plants.

Malcolm Wicks: No specific advice has been issued to local authorities. However the Department has issued general guidance on how the section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 consenting regime works.

Fossil Fuels: Imports

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much he estimates will be spent on imports of  (a) oil and  (b) gas in (i) 2008, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2015, (iv) 2020 and (v) 2030 at 2007 prices.

Malcolm Wicks: Some of the gas and most of the oil produced on the UK Continental Shelf is exported rather than being consumed domestically, so the gross volume of imports is not equivalent to total UK consumption minus total UK production. The Department does not estimate the gross volume of imports of oil or gas expected in future years.
	Projections of future net imports can be derived by subtracting projected UK Continental Shelf production from projected UK demand, although projections of the latter have been made for only the years 2010, 2015 and 2020. These are available in Annex J to the paper on Updated Energy and Carbon Emissions Projections published alongside the May 2007 Energy White Paper at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/page39534.html.
	Based on the published projections, net imports of oil in 2010 would be 176 million barrels; in 2015, 301 million barrels; and in 2020, 392 million barrels. The average price for oil so far in 2007 is $72/barrel, about 36/barrel. If net imports in future years were bought at that price, the cost would therefore be about 6.4 billion in 2010; 10.9 billion in 2015; and 14.1 billion in 2020.
	For gas, net imports in 2010 would be about 36 billion cubic metres (bcm); in 2015, 68 bcm; and in 2020,79 bcm. The average wholesale spot price for gas so far in 2007 is 30p/therm, equivalent to about 109 million/bcm. Thus, if imports in future years were bought at 2007 prices, the cost would be about 3.9 billion in 2010; 7.4 billion in 2015; and 8.6 billion in 2020.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: No illegal immigrants have been discovered working for the Department or its agencies in the past year.

Meat: Imports

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much meat was imported from Brazil in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The figures in the following table are taken from HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics.
	
		
			  UK imports of meat and meat preparations from Brazil 
			million  thousand tonnes 
			 2002 176 132 
			 2003 177 137 
			 2004 198 144 
			 2005 210 148 
			 2006 192 114

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to reply to the letter of 29 October 2007 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton regarding Mr. J Shah.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has no record of receiving my hon. Friend's letter. We have now received a copy of his letter. It appears that it is a matter for the Home Office and has been transferred to them for a response.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ensure that a reply is sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North's letter to the chief executive of Ofgem of 30 October; and what the reasons are for the time taken to send a reply.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 17 December 2007
	My hon. Friend will understand that, as an independent regulator, Ofgem is responsible for its operational activities, including dealing with correspondence. However, I understand that, in this case, Ofgem will respond very soon to my hon. Friend.

Nanotechnology: Finance

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding the Technology Strategy Board plans to allocate to nanotechnology in each of the next five years.

Ian Pearson: The Technology Strategy Board, established as an executive NDPB in July 2007, has inherited a number of nanotechnology-focused activities from the former DTI, including collaborative R and D projects, nanotechnology centres, and knowledge transfer network.
	It is currently in the process of developing its strategic and delivery plans for the next three years starting April 2008, and the role of nanotechnology will be fully considered in developing these plans. During this period, the Technology Strategy Board will overall coordinate public sector investment worth more than 1 billion (including contributions from the English RDAs and the Research Councils), to provide business with a coherent package of technology and innovation support, to help companies turn good ideas into new products and services.

National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he last held discussions with the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators.

Stephen Timms: Departmental Ministers have not met the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators in recent years.

Natural Gas: Regulation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to ensure that all suppliers of gas are regulated by the energy supply ombudsman.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 December 2007
	Gas and electricity supply is regulated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). The Energy Supply Ombudsman is not a regulator. It is an independent body that was established by the six major gas and electricity suppliers following an investigation by Ofgem into suppliers' billing practices. It investigates billing and transfer complaints made by domestic customers who have been unable to resolve the matter with their supplier. Under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007, redress arrangements will be put on a statutory basis, and will apply to all suppliers. The Government recently consulted on the scope of these new arrangements, including proposals to provide small businesses with access to the schemes. The individual schemes brought forward by industry will be subject to approval by the relevant regulator.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority was in  (a) each of the last five years and  (b) each year of the 2007 comprehensive spending review period.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority began operation on 1 April 2005. Its actual gross expenditure since then and its budget for 2007-08 and for each year of the 2007 comprehensive spending review period is as follows:
	
		
			 Funded by: 
			Total expenditure (000)  Grant in aid (000)  Commercial income (000) 
			 2005-06 Actual expenditure 2,420 1,168 1,252 
			 2006-07 Actual expenditure 2,679 1,452 1,227 
		
	
	
		
			Forecast budget  Grant in aid  Forecast commercial income 
			 2007-08 Budget 2,806 1,367 1,439 
			 2008-09 CSR 2007 2,855 1,534 1,321 
			 2009-10 CSR 2007 2,818 1,610 1,208 
			 2010-11 CSR 2007 2,785 1,705 1,080

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what work is being undertaken by the Generation IV International Forum in examining new forms of nuclear reactor technology; and what role the UK is playing in the forum.

Malcolm Wicks: The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) aims to develop, by research collaboration, the most promising advanced nuclear energy systems for international deployment from around 2030. More information is available at www.gen-4.org.
	The UK stood down as an active member of the Forum in summer 2006. The decision to stand down reflected the need to match financial and other resources with the Department's strategic priorities. While valuable in some respects, further involvement in the Forum was not considered to be as relevant to the Department's mission as other competing priorities.

Post Office: Christmas

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has sought assurances from the Post Office that the Horizon payments system will cope with the number of transactions expected to take place on 24 December 2007.

Patrick McFadden: I understand that Post Office Ltd. is confident that its Horizon system has the capacity to cope with the number of transactions expected to take place on 24 December. State pensions for 1.4 million Post Office card account holders will be payable from 21 December giving those pensioners the choice of three days on which to draw their pensions and spreading the transaction volumes for sub post offices and the Horizon system. Post Office Ltd. will monitor performance of their systems closely in the days preceding the holiday period and has comprehensive contingency plans in place.

Post Office: Wales

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many submissions the Post Office has received in its consultation on the Cardiff and Glamorgan Valleys Area Plan.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 13 December 2007
	 This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Access

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many functioning sub post offices are required to meet the Government's access criteria as outlined in the Network Change Programme;
	(2)  if an update has been undertaken of the analysis within the 2000 Performance and Innovation Unit Counter-revolution report on the minimum number of sub post offices required to meet certain distance-based access criteria, based on present post office numbers and the Government's new access criteria as outlined in the Network Change Programme.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 12 December 2007
	Post Office Ltd currently estimates that the minimum size of network necessary to meet the access criteria is around 7,500 offices but it is Government policy to maintain a sustainable network of around 11,500 post offices. The 1.7 billion funding package announced on 17 May supports the network at that level to 2011.
	The access criteria set a minimum floor for the network size and Post Office Ltd are being asked to undertake, in consultation with Postwatch, an updated study and analysis of the minimum number of post offices required to meet the access criteria.

Post Offices: Christmas

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what assurances he has sought from the Post Office that all pensioners will be able to receive their pensions from post offices before Christmas 2007;
	(2)  what contingency plans there are should pension and benefit claimants be unable to access their payments from post offices before Christmas.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 December 2007
	I understand that Post Office Ltd. is confident that its Horizon system has the capacity to cope with the number of transactions expected to take place on 24 December. State pensions for 1.4 million Post Office card account holders will be payable from 21 December giving those pensioners the choice of three days on which to draw their pensions and spreading the transaction volumes for sub post offices and the Horizon system. Post Office Ltd. will monitor performance of their systems closely in the days preceding the holiday period and has comprehensive contingency plans in place.

Post Offices: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd. on the factors to be taken into account in setting the timetable for the Post Office Closure Consultation Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: In preparing the Government's response to the national public consultation on the post office network, discussions were held with Post Office Ltd. about the overall timetable for the network change programme. It was the company's view that implementation of the changes was deliverable by the end of 2008 and the Government response confirmed that the aim was to complete the programme within that period. In July, Post Office Ltd. published an indicative timetable for local consultations on their area plan proposals to complete the programme by the end of 2008. In finalising their timetable for local consultations for post office closures and new outreach services, Post Office Ltd. were asked to take into account Cabinet Office guidelines regarding election periods. These clearly state that consultations should not be launched, and decisions relating to them announced, in a local election period. Successive administrations of both parties have observed these arrangements for many years. The aim remains to complete the network change programme by the end of 2008.

Post Offices: Closures

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Government  (a) decided to defer the Post Office network change programme in England and Wales and  (b) informed and instructed Post Office Limited to impose a freeze on running any public consultations prior to the May 2008 municipal and local authority elections in England and Wales.

Patrick McFadden: Post Office Ltd was advised in early November of the need to apply the principles set out in the Cabinet Office guidelines relating to public consultations in the period preceding local elections.

Post Offices: Kent

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many customers use the Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge Post Office on average each day;
	(2)  how many customers use the South End, Edenbridge, Post Office on average each day;
	(3)  how many customers use the Hectorage Road, Tonbridge, Post Office on average each day;
	(4)  how many post offices there are within a mile of  (a) the Hectorage Road, Tonbridge, Post Office,  (b) the Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge, Post Office and  (c) the South End, Edenbridge, Post Office.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices were open in Peterborough constituency in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and  (c) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 December 2007
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postal Services: Rural Areas

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make an assessment of the effect on postal delivery times in rural areas of the EU regulations which require 7.5 tonne tachograph vehicles to travel at or below 56 mph; and if he will bring forward proposals to exempt postal delivery vehicles from those regulations.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 13 December 2007
	Royal Mail has responsibility for running the day-to-day operations of the business and has to comply with relevant legislation.
	The EU Directive 92/6/EEC concerning all vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes is intended to promote road safety, and to improve working conditions for drivers.
	I understand that compliance with this directive has had an impact on Royal Mail's network because vehicles arrive at destinations later.
	The Department for Transport has responsibility for the implementation of this directive and it is for them to consider whether there should be exemptions from the regulations.

Postwatch: Finance

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to the public purse was of Post Watch in the latest year for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: Details of Postwatch's expenditure for the latest year can be found in its annual report for 2006-07 which can be accessed through the Postwatch website at:
	http://www.postwatch.co.uk/images/stories/pdfs/PostwatchAR2006-07.pdf

Power Stations: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether plans exist for minimum efficiency standards for greenhouse gas emissions to be applied to applications for new power plants.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have issued guidance for all applicants for non renewable fossil fuelled stations to demonstrate they have considered combined heat and power. In addition the Environment Agency consider the efficient use of fuel when considering any large combustion plant application made under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime.

Radioactive Materials: Waste Disposal

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to  (a) store and  (b) dispose of (i) spent nuclear fuel and (ii) other nuclear waste in each 10 year period up to 2077; what sites have been identified for (A) storage and (B) disposal in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Spent nuclear fuel is currently stored on the site where it arises or is transported to Sellafield for long-term storage or reprocessing. Spent fuel is not classified as a waste.
	High Level Waste (HLW) created by reprocessing spent fuel is routinely put into a passively safe form through a process known as vitrification and then safely and securely stored in a custom built facility at Sellafield.
	Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) is generally held in safe and secure storage on nuclear sites where it arises, pending availability of a disposal facility for higher activity waste.
	Low Level Waste (LLW) is mostly disposed of at the national Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg in Cumbria, which is expected to operate until 2050. A further near surface LLW disposal facility is currently planned for the Dounreay site in Scotland. Some LLW, not suitable for near-surface disposal, is held in storage pending the availability of a disposal facility for higher activity waste.
	In July 2006 the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) reported to Government its recommendations for the long term management of higher activity radioactive waste. In October 2006 Government accepted the primary recommendations of geological disposal coupled with robust, safe and secure interim storage until such time as a geological disposal facility is available. Government also confirmed they wished to explore a site selection approach for this facility based on the concept of voluntarism, as recommended by CoRWM. Government recently held a public consultation on the framework for implementing geological disposal and will report their findings shortly, with a White Paper anticipated in the new year to set out the way forward for the implementation process designed to deliver a geological disposal facility and ensure interim storage remains safe and secure in the meantime.

Radioactive Materials: Waste Disposal

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the amount of  (a) spent nuclear fuel and  (b) other nuclear waste to be disposed of in the UK in each 10 year period to 2077; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The last published 'snapshot' of the UK Radioactive Waste Inventory, that includes both existing and expected legacy waste volumes, was for a stock date of 1 April 2004. The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) drew on this when it compiled its own inventory estimates. The packaged volumes of High Level Waste (HLW), Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) and Low Level Waste (LLW) as reported by CoRWM are as follows:
	
		
			  Material  Packaged volume (m3) 
			 HLW 1,290 
			 ILW 353,000 
			 LLW(1) 37,200 
			 (1) This refers to long lived LLW not suitable for near surface disposal. 
		
	
	In addition most LLW is routinely disposed of as it arises to the near surface facility near Drigg in West Cumbria.
	From the 2004 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory, given a number of assumptions, if waste is packaged the figures in cubic metres are as follows:
	
		
			   HLW  ILW  LLW 
			 In stock 1,222 105,570 30,426 
			 Arisings 2004-09 440 27,553 172,881 
			 Arisings 2010-19 92 29,703 260,168 
			 Arisings 2020-29 0 18,218 162,768 
			 Arisings 2030-39 0 12,035 132,534 
			 Arisings 2040-59 0 35,076 228,123 
			 Arisings 2060-99 0 45,445 1,232,787 
		
	
	These figures do not include spent fuel arisings as they are not currently declared as waste intended for disposal.

Small Businesses: Young People

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government are taking to promote small business start-up schemes among young people.

Stephen Timms: The Government's aim is to get a generation of young people to start thinking about the benefits of running their own business, and to recognise the positive impact that enterprising attitudes can have in every area of their lives.
	According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor UK Report 2006, 10.1 per cent. of 18 to 24-year-olds said they expected to start a business in the next three years, the highest level of any age group reported.
	We want to empower young people and change the attitudes of those who influence them, such as parents, teachers and employers. And we want to raise young people's awareness of the practical help that already existssuch as training programmes, mentoring, information and guidance, and the various support networks around the country.
	We are doing this by:
	Funding Enterprise Insight's 'Make Your Mark: Change Lives' campaignwhich promotes enterprise to young people aged 14 to 30;
	Supporting the UK's annual Enterprise Week;
	Promoting enterprise education within schools;
	Supporting the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship to promote business start-up as a viable alternative to working for somebody else.
	In Wales, this is being done by:
	Delivering the Youth Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES) launched in 2004;
	Offering support through a range of programmes including Business Eye, a comprehensive and popular source of impartial information and general support for business.
	There were around 34,000 new start-ups by young people (under 25) in England and Wales in 2006. This is 8 per cent. of all start-ups, up from 7 per cent. in 2003.
	 Source
	ONS Labour Force Survey and Barclays Bank

Social Security Benefits: ICT

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the performance and reliability of the Horizon payments system in delivering benefits.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Telent

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the takeover of Telent by the Pensions Corporation.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The proposed transaction is a commercial matter for the enterprises concerned and their shareholders.
	I understand that the union Unite has asked the Pensions Regulator to consider the issues associated with this takeover.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Certification Officer has produced on whether trade union employees not funded by a trade union political fund can utilise their time to engage in political campaigning.

Patrick McFadden: Neither the Department nor the Certification Officer has produced guidance on whether trade union employees not funded by a trade union political fund can utilise their time to engage in political campaigning.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Certification Officer has produced on whether employees taking leave from their employment to undertake their trade union activities can engage in political campaigning as part of those trade union duties.

Patrick McFadden: Neither the Department not the Certification Officer has produced specific guidance on whether employees taking leave from their employment to undertake their trade union activities can engage in political campaigning as part of those trade union duties. The Department has produced general guidance on the law relating to time off for trade union duties and activities in a publication entitled Union membership: rights of members and non-members.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to introduce proposals for new  (a) legislation,  (b) regulation and  (c) guidance on the administration and conduct of trades union ballots.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has no current plans to introduce new legislation, regulation and guidance on the administration and conduct of trade union ballots.

Trade Unions: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 467W, on trade unions: finance, if he will introduce regulations to provide that trades union members who opt out of a union's political fund must be charged a proportionately lower subscription rate.

Patrick McFadden: The Department has no plans to introduce additional regulation regarding the level of subscriptions paid by trade union members.

Trade Unions: Regional Development Agencies

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1141W, on trades unions: regional development agencies (RDAs), which RDAs have no trade union member on their board.

Stephen Timms: All of the eight RDAs for which BERR makes appointments (appointments to the LDA are the responsibility of the Mayor) have a trade union representative on their board.

Trade Unions: Regional Development Agencies

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1141W, on trade unions: regional development agencies (RDAs), what  (a) his policy and  (b) the policy of the assessment panels is on whether a trade union representative should be appointed to each RDA board.

Stephen Timms: It is Government policy that there is a trade union representative on the board of each of the eight RDAs for which BERR makes appointments (appointments to the LDA are the responsibility of the Mayor).
	The appointments process for trade union representatives is then run in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice, in the same way as other appointments: the specification for the trade union appointment is subject to external consultation; the selection panel is responsible for sifting and interviewing candidates for each of the vacancies in the different sectors, putting forward all candidates that satisfy the selection criteria and are therefore appointable, ready for my consideration.

UK Trade and Investment: Defence

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the new unit in UK Trade and Investment responsible for defence exports will be called.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 11 December 2007
	As outlined in the written statement of 11 December,  Official Report, column 16WS, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, the new unit has provisionally been given the name UKTI Defence and Security Group.

Unfair Practices: Sales

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  whether the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive will apply to consumers purchasing goods or services from trade unions;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the full implementation of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive; and on what date the revised consumer protection rules will come into force.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 13 December 2007
	I propose to lay before Parliament in early January draft Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, implementing the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. If approved in debate the regulations will come into force on 6 April 2008.
	It is possible that the directive could apply to a trade union that has a trading arm providing goods and services to consumers within the meaning of the directive. In these circumstances a trade union's trading entity could be acting as a trader for the purposes of the directive.

Union Modernisation Fund

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department commissioned any external assessment of applications for funding under the union modernisation fund programme.

Patrick McFadden: We have engaged an independent supervisory board to assess all applications against the union modernisation fund criteria. The bids were assessed to ensure that they fell within the scope of the fund; to ensure that they had been realistically costed, offered value for money; and had suitable project management arrangements in place for effective delivery of the project.
	In addition BERR is working with Leeds University Business School to conduct a phased evaluation of the fund. Phase one evaluated the operational effectiveness of the first round of bidding. Phase two will evaluate the success of supported projects and the impact of monies via a series of case studies. An interim phase two evaluation report will be published shortly.

TREASURY

Assets: Capital Gains Tax

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of rebasing the cost of assets subject to capital gains tax to April 1998 values.

Jane Kennedy: The revenue cost of rebasing assets subject to capital gains tax to April 1998 values would be of the order of 700 million a year by comparison with the current (2007-08) regime. This is a broad estimate and takes into account the likely taxpayer response to the change.

Central Heating: Yorkshire and Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of households in each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber were without central heating in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department does not collect information on central heating for each parliamentary constituency. From the most recently available data from the Survey of English Housing 9 per cent. of households reported they did not have central heating in Yorkshire and Humber in 2005-06, compared to 19 per cent. in 1995-96. The following table provides the trend within the region for the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Yorkshire and Humber: households without central heating, 1995-96 to 2005-06 
			   Percentage of households without central heating 
			 1995-96 19 
			 1996-97 19 
			 1997-98 18 
			 1998-99 18 
			 1999-2000 18 
			 2000-01 15 
			 2001-02 13 
			 2002-03 12 
			 2003-04 11 
			 2004-05 9 
			 2005-06 9

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have access to a full copy of data held by  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs on tax credit claimants.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	No individuals at the Treasury have access to data on tax credits claimants.
	HMRC provides its staff with controlled access to customer information to facilitate the delivery and maintenance of service for customers.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the computer software being used to store the Child Benefit database in HM Revenue and Customs in March 2007 was capable of encrypting data.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what vetting process is applied to officials in HM Revenue and Customs who have access to the full database of child benefit records.

Jane Kennedy: Access to all HMRC systems is assigned according to user-roles. HMRC seeks to minimise access levels to its systems, restricting access to only those staff who can demonstrate a current defined business need.
	All HMRC staff are security cleared to an appropriate level in line with departmental security procedures.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Clear Line of Sight Project

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department is making on the Clear Line of Sight project; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Government announced in the Governance of Britain Green Paper (Cm7170) in July that it would simplify its reporting to Parliament by bringing together the processes for planning, parliamentary approval and reporting of public spending on to a more consistent basis, in line with the fiscal rules. The Government made clear that they would consult widely on the detailed changes needed to effect this major reform, which is designed to make the system of government finance easier to understand and operate and improve government's accountability to Parliament.
	The process of preliminary research and analysis needed to deliver a successful outcome to the project is now well under way, and the Government very much welcome the involvement of representatives from Parliament, the National Audit Office and the Financial Reporting Advisory Board, as well as from across government.

Customs Officers: Training

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on training and staff development of HM Revenue and Customs customs officers in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: There is no separate group of staff identified as customs officers. The external costs of training and staff development for the Customs and Excise department are shown below for 2001-02 to 2004-05; figures for 2000-01 are not available without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  000 
			 2001-02 7,490 
			 2002-03 6,585 
			 2003-04 5,718 
			 2004-05 5,751 
		
	
	Following the merger with former Inland Revenue, producing HM Revenue and Customs (but excluding the Valuation Office Agency), the corresponding total training and staff development costs for 2005-06 and 2006-07 were:
	
		
			  000 
			 2005-06 9,147 
			 2006-07 8,984

Departmental Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on international flights in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: Since 1999 the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the current financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. From next year, the list will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Information in respect of flights taken by officials could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Computers

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records are kept by his Department of attempted hacking or suspected cyber attacks or other malicious computer security breaches committed against his Department's computer systems.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury keeps operational logs of firewall and anti-virus activity. All suspected breaches or hacking attempts are investigated.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions compact discs containing unencrypted confidential data have been sent out by his Department in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many electronic databases within his Department contain  (a) names,  (b) addresses,  (c) bank details and  (d) other personal information on members of the public.

Jane Kennedy: On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Data Protection

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms are in place to ensure that information kept by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies is (i) accurate and up-to-date and (ii) kept securely.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC, including the Valuation Office Agency has in place a range of measures to ensure its information is both accurate and up to date and kept securely.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Drug Seizures

David Ruffley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many seizures of  (a) methamphetamine,  (b) cannabis,  (c) cocaine and  (d) heroin have been made by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 1997; and what the total quantity seized of each substance was.

Angela Eagle: The following table shows the number of seizures and quantities of heroin, cocaine and cannabis seized by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the years since 1997.
	Methamphetamine was reclassified as a Class A drug on the 18 January 2007, prior to this HMRC did not collect seizure data on methamphetamine. No seizures of methamphetamine were made in the period 18 January 2007 to 31 March 2007.
	When the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) became operational on 1 April 2006, primacy for the resources associated with the investigation of class A drugs cases transferred to SOCA. Details of services relating to this activity are included in SOCA's Annual Report (2005-06) available online at:
	www.soca.gov.uk.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cannabis (KGs)  Cannabis (Number of seizures)  Cocaine (KGs)  Cocaine (Number of seizures)  Heroin (KGs)  Heroin (Number of seizures) 
			 2006-07(1) 62,966 4,244 2,368 1,165 527 60 
			 2005-06 41,611 3,234 5,798 1,176 1,507 61 
			 2004-05 57,504 3,359 8,606 1,093 1,613 79 
			 2003-04 57,617 3,470 (2)20,727 1,169 1,626 87 
			 2002-03 59,035 4,454 8,767 1,181 2,069 52 
			 2001-02 67,061 4,170 6,075 1,655 1,489 83 
			 2000-01 41,776. n/a 7,420 n/a 2,043 n/a 
			 1999-2000 77,853 n/a 2,525 n/a 2,707 n/a 
			 1998-99(3) 62,028  3,540  594  
			 1997-98 80,380  2,356  1,821  
			 (1 )When the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) became operational on 1 April cases transferred to SOCA. (2) The large quantity of cocaine seized in this year is due to the culmination of several long running operations. (3) For financial years 1997-98, 1998-99 the drugs statistics published gave the total number of seizures for cocaine, heroin, cannabis and synthetic drugs. The total amount of seizures made in 1997-98 were 7,796 and for 1998-99 7,738. 
		
	
	For financial year 1999-2000 the drugs statistics published in the Annual Report gave the total number of drugs seized in value ( million). The weight of drugs seized during this financial year is reflected in the table. For financial year 2000-01 the drugs statistics published in the Annual Report gave the total number of drugs seized by weight only.

Employment: Greater London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) 16,  (b) 17,  (c) 18,  (d) 19,  (e) 20,  (f) 21,  (g) 22,  (h) 23 and  (i) 24 year old (i) women and (ii) men were in employment but not receiving education or training in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many  (a) 16,  (b) 17,  (c) 18,  (d) 19,  (e) 20,  (f) 21,  (g) 22,  (h) 23 and  (i) 24 year old (i) women and (ii) men were in employment but not receiving education or training in each London borough in each of the last 10 years. (169823)
	Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Enterprise Management Incentives

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average market value was of share options exercised under the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme in each year since 2001-02.

Angela Eagle: The Enterprise Management Incentives scheme was introduced in Finance Act 2000, and offers generous tax-advantaged share options to help small, higher risk independent trading companies recruit and retain the high calibre people they need to grow and succeed. EMI is open to qualifying companies or groups with gross assets not exceeding 30 million.
	The following table shows the average market value of shares acquired per employee exercising EMI share options during each of the years 2001-02 to 2005-06 together with the numbers of those employees. The figures in the above table include the average gain as well as average market value since it is only the gain which is relieved of income tax and NICS under EMI.
	
		
			  Tax year  Number of employees exercising EMI share options  Average market value of shares acquired ()  Average amount paid for shares acquired ()  Average gain on exercise () 
			 2001-02 400 33,000 9,000 24,000 
			 2002-03 1,300 41,000 7,000 34,000 
			 2003-04 2,100 49,000 8,000 41,000 
			 2004-05 4,600 49,000 8,000 41,000 
			 2005-06 6,100 59,000 10,000 49,000 
			  Note: Averages are per employee.

Exports

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of goods and services exported overseas from  (a) Scotland and  (b) the UK was in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Value of goods exported( 1)  from the UK, 1997 to 2006 
			   Value of goods exported ( million) 
			   Total UK exports  Exports from Scotland( 2) 
			 1997 171,779 15,395 
			 1998 164,247 17,575 
			 1999 166,318 17,615 
			 2000 187,159 20,228 
			 2001 189,376 16,686 
			 2002 186,978 15,616 
			 2003 188,382 13,200 
			 2004 190,548 11,932 
			 2005 211,756 12,661 
			 2006 243,821 13,460 
			 (1) Exports refer to both EU and non-EU destined goods (2 )Exports from Scotland based on Regional Trade Statistics methodology  Note: Data on services are not available on a comparable basis. Figures for the UK are available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and data for Scottish service exports are available from the Scottish Executive.  Source: HM Revenue and Customs, Regional Trade Statistics

Freight: Roads

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the economic prospects for the UK road freight sector, with particular reference to the effects of  (a) freight taxes,  (b) excise duties and  (c) fuel prices.

Angela Eagle: In taking taxation decisions as part of the Budget process the Government consider all relevant environmental, social and economic factorsincluding those relating to specific industry sectorsinto consideration.
	Further to this process, the Haulage Industry Task Group, consisting of Government officials and representatives from the road haulage industry and business sector, published a report in December 2006, designed to better understand the issues raised in 2005 Burns Inquiry into fuel prices, freight taxes and foreign competition. The report is published at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pre_budget_report/prebud_pbr06/other_docs/prebud_pbr06_odhaulage_cfm

Gift Aid

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will change the gift aid rules under section 3.46.12 of the guidance to include grandparents of minors.

Jane Kennedy: Minors (those under the age of 18 who are not married) are the legal responsibility of their parents or legal guardians. Membership subscriptions paid on behalf of minors by their parents or legal guardians can be regarded as qualifying donations providing the usual Gift Aid conditions are met. There is no scope within the existing legislation to extend this treatment. The Government continue to look at ways of building on the success of the Gift Aid scheme and increasing donations to charity, and is currently considering responses to the recent consultation on Gift Aid to this end.

Government Equalities Office

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Winter Supplementary Estimates (HC 29), 
	(1)  if he will break down the Government Equalities Office new estimate provision by subhead in (i) near cash and (ii) non-cash terms;
	(2)  if he will break down the  (a) Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills,  (b) Food Standards Agency and  (c) Office of Rail Regulation (i) main estimate and (ii) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms;
	(3)  if he will break down the  (a) Assets Recovery Agency,  (b) Charity Commission and  (c) Northern Ireland Court Service (i) main estimate and (ii) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms;
	(4)  if he will break down the  (a) National Archives,  (b) Crown Prosecution Service and  (c) Serious Fraud Office (i) main estimate and (ii) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms;
	(5)  if he will break down the  (a) HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor,  (b) Office of Gas and Electricity and  (c) Postal Services Commission (i) main estimate and (ii) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms;
	(6)  if he will break down the  (a) Forestry Commission,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) National Savings and Investments (i) main estimate and (ii) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms;
	(7)  if he will break down the  (a) Office for National Statistics,  (b) National School of Government and  (c) Privy Council Office (i) main estimate and (ii) winter supplementary estimate provision by subhead in (A) near cash and (B) non-cash terms.

Andy Burnham: The breakdown of voted resources in supply estimates is primarily a matter for the Departments concerned. I understand that the right hon. Gentleman has tabled the same question to all Departments directly in separate parliamentary questions.

National Insurance: Data Protection

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how frequently discs are sent to pension providers containing information on national insurance rebates; how many are sent each year; and how many such discs have gone missing in transit over the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 6 December 2007
	HMRC may only disclose information which it holds in accordance with the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. Most transfers of data take place under statutory gateways which specify circumstances in which HMRC may disclose such information. All disclosures must be compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
	On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim findings were published yesterday and available in the Library of the House.

Pensioners

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of the population in  (a) England and  (b) each parliamentary constituency are over the age of 65; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many and what percentage of the population in (a) England and (b) each parliamentary constituency are over the age of 65 years. (174293).
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006. The estimated population in England aged 65 and over is 8,086,000. This is 16 per cent of the total estimated population in England in mid-2006.
	ONS does not have population estimates for parliamentary constituencies for the whole of the UK. However mid-2006 estimates for parliamentary constituencies covering England and Wales and Scotland are due to be published early in 2008. Estimates for Northern Ireland are available on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website at:
	http://www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp?cmsid=20_21_24cms:=demography_population%20statistics_Mid-year+population+estimatesrelease=

Personation

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1203W, on personation, what risks his Department has identified of identity theft arising from tax-related correspondence between HM Revenue and Customs and members of the public; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce those risks.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement my right hon. Friend the Chancellor gave to the House on 17 December.

Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is on recycling.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury is committed to meeting the government's target to increase recycling figures on the office estate to 40 per cent. of waste arisings by 2010 and to 75 per cent. by 2020.

Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much and what proportion of its waste his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 11 December 2007,  Official Report, column 365W.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what security clearance is required before a member of staff is allowed access to personal information at HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: Access to any HMRC system is assigned according to user-roles. HMRC seeks to minimise access levels to its systems, restricting access to only those staff who can demonstrate a current defined business need.
	All HMRC staff are security cleared to an appropriate level in line with departmental security procedures.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) organisations,  (b) agencies and  (c) individuals have (i) partial and (ii) total access to personal tax or benefit data held by HM Revenue and Customs; under what conditions such access is given; what legislation regulates such access; and if he will make a statement

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how data are shared between HM Revenue and Customs and the Student Loans Company; and what medium is used to transmit the data;
	(2)  what encryption is used when sending data  (a) from HM Revenue and Customs to the Student Loans Company and  (b) from the Student Loans Company to HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC may only disclose information which it holds in accordance with the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. Most transfers of data take place under statutory gateways which specify circumstances in which HMRC may disclose such information. All disclosures must be compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
	On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what concerns about security at HM Revenue and Customs have been reported by the Departmental Security Officer of  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs in the last two years.

Jane Kennedy: The Departmental Security Officer (DSO) of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) provides HMRC's Chairman with an Annual Report on Security Incidents. The remit of HM Treasury's Departmental Security Officer does not cover HMRC, although issues of common concern about shared premises are discussed regularly between the security officials of the two Departments.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs uses secure electronic networks to transfer data; and what criteria are used in deciding what methods of data transfer to use.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC uses a number of secure electronic networks to transfer data, as one of several methods of data transfer.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the remarks I made on 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 344 setting out the key steps all staff in HMRC must now follow for bulk data transfers.

Revenue and Customs: Personal Records

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which information the National Audit Office (NAO) is entitled to request from  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on (i) personal tax and (ii) benefit data; by what mechanisms such information is provided to the NAO by HMRC; and if he will make a statement

Jane Kennedy: The National Audit Office (NAO) derive their authority from four main Acts of Parliament; these are the Exchequer and Audit Department Acts 1866 and 1921, the National Audit Act 1983 and the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. Under section 8 of the National Audit Act 1983 the Comptroller and Auditor General has a right of access at all reasonable times to all official documents reasonably required for the purposes of an audit. The mechanisms by which such information is provided to the NAO vary according to the request.
	On 13 November HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) initiated immediate increased security with a new process:
	transfers will now only take place if they are absolutely necessary
	written authorisation for the transfer has to be given by senior HMRC manager; and
	a clear instruction has been given regarding the appropriate standard of protection for the transfer.
	Where directors decide that a data transfer by disc is unavoidable such media must, in every case, be securely encrypted at the appropriate level.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The interim report was published yesterday and is available in the Library of the House.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each Lean target for staff at HM Revenue and Custom's office in Washington since December 2005.

Jane Kennedy: Teams working in HMRC work streams have a range of targets which change regularly. Teams using Lean ways of working typically improve quality and lead times ensuring that customers receive the right amount of child benefit more quickly.

Social Security Benefits: EC Nationals

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether birth or adoption certificates are required as proof of entitlement before the payment of family benefits for the children of European Economic Area nationals resident abroad.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 48W, to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory).

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether previous versions of HM Revenue and Customs Code of Practice (COP) 26 allowed the suspension of the recovery of tax credit overpayments for the whole of the appeal process, including reference to the Adjudicator or Ombudsman; and if he will place in the Library the current edition of COP 26;
	(2)  in what circumstances the recovery of tax credit overpayments is suspended while the Adjudicator or Ombudsman considers an appeal.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have been suspending recovery of all tax credit overpayments following receipt of any new dispute, or where new evidence has been provided in support of a dispute, since November 2005.
	HMRC will not ask a customer to pay back a tax credit overpayment until they have fully investigated a referral from the offices of the adjudicator or parliamentary ombudsman involving a new dispute or where fresh evidence has been provided.
	A new COP 26 will be available and implemented in full from January 2008. Copies will be placed in the Library.

Taxation: Gyms

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the ways in which employer-provided gym and sports club memberships are treated for tax purposes.

Jane Kennedy: The Government keep all taxes under review as part of the Budget process.

Taxation: Overpayments

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals used appeals procedure ESC A19 in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The standard procedure in relation to ESC A19 is that its application will be considered automatically whenever HMRC notifies a customer of a tax charge more than 12 months after the end of the tax year concerned and circumstances covered by the terms of this concession are apparent. There is no central record of the number of cases in which the application of ESC A19 was considered but details of tax given up under this concession are published in the Board of HMRC Annual Report, available in the House of Commons Library.

Trade Competitiveness

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures in his Pre-Budget Report contribute to the international competitiveness of the UK's nations and regions.

Angela Eagle: The UK continues to perform well on a wide variety of measures of competitivenessincluding GDP, productivity growth, labour market performance and economic stability. The Government remain committed to further achieving continued long-term improvements in UK competitiveness through raising long-term productivity. The recent comprehensive spending review (CSR) and pre-Budget report (PBR) illustrate this with policies aimed at improving performance through the key drivers of productivity. This includes increased investment in higher education and skills, continued development of a world-class science base and simplifications to the tax system. These actions are further underpinned by the Government's commitment to maintaining macroeconomic stability, which provides firms and individuals with the certainty needed to invest for our future.
	The Government's strategy focuses on raising productivity and innovation across the whole UK economy. Further details on the national and regional implications of the CSR and PBR measures can be found in the regional and country leaflets accompanying the CSR and PBR available through:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pbr_csr/pbr_csr07_regionalleaflets.cfm

Unemployment: Yorkshire and Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of young people in each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber were unemployed in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of young people in each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber were unemployed in each year since 1997. (174297)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows estimates for each Parliamentary Constituency in Yorkshire  the Humber, for the 12 month periods ending in February from 1998 to 2004 from the annual LFS, and for the 12 months from March 2005 to March 2007 from the APS. Table 1 shows the number of unemployed aged 16-24 resident in each constituency.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2, attached, shows the annual averages for people aged 18 to 24 claiming ISA in each constituency in Yorkshire  the Humber for 1997 to 2006. Proportions for the 18 to 24 age group are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of unemployed persons aged 16-24; parliamentary constituencies; Yorkshire and the Humber 
			   March 1997 to February 1998  March 1998 to February 1999  March 1999 to February 2000  March 2000 to February 2001  March 2001 to February 2002 
			   Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%) 
			 Barnsley Central 1 18 1 22 1 20 1 16 1 13 
			 Barnsley East and Mexborough 1 9 3 29 n/a n/a 1 14 1 18 
			 Barnsley West and Penistone 1 15 1 13   1 20 1 17 
			 Batley and Spen 1 12 1 20 1 12 1 16 1 11 
			 Beverley and Holderness * * 1 21 1 20 1 10 n/a n/a 
			 Bradford North 2 20 1 37 1 13 2 22 1 22 
			 Bradford South * * n/a n/a 1 11 1 12 1 12 
			 Bradford West 2 25 3 37 1 11 2 25 2 32 
			 Brigg and Goole 2 21 1 15 1 23 1 18 1 12 
			 Calder Valley 1 16 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 14 n/a n/a 
			 City of York * * 1 13 1 17 1 10 1 11 
			 Cleethorpes 1 9 1 18 1 8 1 11 1 14 
			 Colne Valley 1 8 n/a n/a 1 11 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Dewsbury 1 16 1 11 1 11 1 8 1 13 
			 Doncaster Central 2 23 1 16 2 19 1 15 1 11 
			 Doncaster North * * 1 18 1 15 2 23 1 17 
			 Don Valley 1 27 1 18 n/a n/a 1 23 n/a n/a 
			 East Yorkshire * * 1 13 n/a n/a 1 14 1 12 
			 Elmet 1 7 1 12 n/a n/a n/a n/a   
			 Great Grimsby 1 27 1 15 2 23 1 13 2 18 
			 Halifax 1 20 2 23 n/a n/a 1 12 1 14 
			 Haltemprice and Howden * * n/a n/a 1 11 1 9 1 11 
			 Harrogate and Knaresborough 1 11   1 14 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hemsworth 1 19 1 10 n/a n/a 1 15 1 13 
			 Huddersfield 1 14 1 15 2 26 2 24 1 10 
			 Keighley * * 1 13 1 17 1 11 1 10 
			 Kingston upon Hull East 2 30 n/a n/a 1 34 1 15 1 20 
			 Kingston upon Hull North 2 28 2 26 2 32 1 11 2 19 
			 Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle * * 1 14 1 24 1 18 1 10 
			 Leeds Central 1 15 2 30 1 12 2 29 2 22 
			 Leeds East 1 24 1 30 2 23 n/a n/a 1 14 
			 Leeds North East * * n/a 0 1 13 1 21   
			 Leeds North West 2 19 2 13 1 12 1 10 1 8 
			 Leeds West 1 25 n/a n/a 2 21 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Morley and Rothwell * * n/a n/a   1 14 n/a n/a 
			 Normanton 1 6 1 10 1 13 n/a n/a   
			 Pontefract and Castleford 2 19 n/a n/a 2 27 1 17 1 17 
			 Pudsey 1 8 1 11 1 11 1 14 n/a n/a 
			 Richmond (Yorks) * * n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Rother Valley 1 11 2 45 2 32 1 17 1 13 
			 Rotherham 1 20 1 19 n/a n/a 1 13 1 14 
			 Ryedale   n/a n/a   n/a n/a * * 
			 Scarborough and Whitby * * n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 19 
			 Scunthorpe 1 11 1 20 1 11 1 18 1 10 
			 Selby * * n/a n/a 1 15 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Attercliffe   n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Brightside 1 27 1 26 1 17 1 11 n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Central 3 37 3 26 1 19 n/a n/a 2 20 
			 Sheffield Hallam 1 20 1 13 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Heeley 1 16 1 22 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Hillsborough * * 2 19 1 10 2 20 1 11 
			 Shipley 1 14 1 16 1 17 1 15 1 15 
			 Skipton and Ripon 1 11 1 9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Vale of York   1 7   2 22 n/a n/a 
			 Wakefield 1 12 1 9 n/a n/a 2 17 1 12 
			 Wentworth 1 23 2 24 1 25 n/a n/a 1 8 
		
	
	
		
			   March 2002 to February 2003  March 2003 to February 2004  April 2004 to March 2005  April 2005 to March 2006  April 2006 to March 2007 
			   Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%)  Level  Rate( 1)  (%) 
			 Barnsley Central 1 27 # # 1 13 1 15 1 9 
			 Barnsley East and Mexborough 1 20 1 21 1 11 1 21 1 20 
			 Barnsley West and Penistone 1 9 1 20 1 13 1 20 1 11 
			 Batley and Spen 1 15 1 12 1 9 * * 1 8 
			 Beverley and Holderness 1 12 1 8 * * 1 10 2 18 
			 Bradford North 1 15 1 14 * * 2 21 2 19 
			 Bradford South 1 13 1 12 2 18 2 19 2 27 
			 Bradford West 2 17 2 17 1 13 1 12 2 19 
			 Brigg and Goole 1 10 1 11 1 10 1 14 1 16 
			 Calder Valley * * 1 13 * * 1 27 1 19 
			 City of York 1 8 1 10 1 5 1 11 3 30 
			 Cleethorpes 1 12 1 17 1 15 1 10 # # 
			 Colne Valley 1 10 1 14 1 8 1 13 1 11 
			 Dewsbury 1 11 1 10 1 11 1 14 * * 
			 Doncaster Central 2 29 # # * * * * 1 20 
			 Doncaster North 1 19 1 7 1 9 2 27 1 13 
			 Don Valley * * 1 10 1 18 * * 1 15 
			 East Yorkshire 1 11 # # 2 23 1 22 * * 
			 Elmet 1 10 1 20 * * * * * * 
			 Great Grimsby 2 23 1 15 2 22 2 23 1 18 
			 Halifax 1 12 1 18 1 14 1 10 1 19 
			 Haltemprice and Howden * * # # * * 1 11 * * 
			 Harrogate and Knaresborough * * 1 13 * * * * * * 
			 Hemsworth 1 13 2 14 * * 1 7 2 22 
			 Huddersfield 2 31 1 21 2 23 2 27 2 21 
			 Keighley 1 15 # # * * * * * * 
			 Kingston upon Hull East 2 23 2 18 2 18 2 19 1 16 
			 Kingston upon Hull North 1 17 1 15 1 8 1 7 2 15 
			 Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle 1 13 2 26 2 28 1 16 2 22 
			 Leeds Central 1 18 1 11 3 25 3 23 3 24 
			 Leeds East * * # # * * 2 31 1 11 
			 Leeds North East * * 1 9 1 12 1 23 1 14 
			 Leeds North West 1 14 1 9 * * 1 10 * * 
			 Leeds West 1 10 1 8 1 6 1 16 * * 
			 Morley and Rothwell * * 1 8 1 19 * * 1 12 
			 Normanton 1 10 1 12 1 10 1 19 1 17 
			 Pontefract and Castleford * * 1 13 1 18 2 20 1 16 
			 Pudsey * * 1 11 * * * * * * 
			 Richmond (Yorks) * * # # 1 11 * * * * 
			 Rother Valley 1 16 1 9 # # # # 1 17 
			 Rotherham 1 16 1 12 1 12 1 17 1 24 
			 Ryedale * * # # # # * * # # 
			 Scarborough and Whitby 1 15 1 9 * * * * * * 
			 Scunthorpe 1 18 1 10 1 7 1 9 1 15 
			 Selby 1 7 # # 1 7 * * 1 18 
			 Sheffield Attercliffe 1 12 1 16 * * 1 22 2 21 
			 Sheffield Brightside 1 15 1 13 2 26 1 16 1 18 
			 Sheffield Central 2 19 3 24 4 31 3 30 2 12 
			 Sheffield Hallam * * # # * * * * * * 
			 Sheffield Heeley * * 2 26 2 25 * * 1 27 
			 Sheffield Hillsborough * * 2 16 * * 2 37 1 16 
			 Shipley 1 12 1 8 * * 1 20 * * 
			 Skipton and Ripon * * 1 18 * * * * * * 
			 Vale of York * * 1 15 * * * * * * 
			 Wakefield * * 2 22 1 10 * * * * 
			 Wentworth 1 9 1 13 1 9 1 15 1 18 
			 (1 )Unemployed people as a percentage of the economically active population for age group. n/a = Figures not available since the group sample size is disclosive. * = The weighted figure is unreliable as the sample size is too small.  = Figures not available as the group sample size is zero.  Note: Estimates are subject to random variability. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.  Source:  Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of claimants of jobseeker's allowance aged 18 to 24, resident in the Yorkshire  Humber constituencies. 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Barnsley Central 805 740 605 570 500 430 410 380 440 500 
			 Barnsley East  Mexborough 825 740 620 575 550 470 455 395 450 560 
			 Barnsley West  Penistone 630 555 490 445 410 365 360 275 295 345 
			 Batley  Spen 625 510 455 390 340 325 340 275 335 450 
			 Beverley  Holderness 515 510 440 400 345 310 290 255 290 335 
			 Bradford North 1,165 1,020 880 855 835 845 795 675 690 785 
			 Bradford South 760 705 630 575 560 570 580 470 490 595 
			 Bradford West 1,530 1,410 1,210 1,190 1,140 1,115 1,070 910 960 1,005 
			 Brigg  Goole 520 455 390 340 310 315 285 270 305 325 
			 Calder Valley 495 450 410 350 320 310 280 240 275 365 
			 City of York 770 600 490 450 415 380 365 350 350 465 
			 Cleethorpes 775 690 595 535 495 425 400 360 415 445 
			 Colne Valley 525 475 420 385 325 340 310 270 295 365 
			 Dewsbury 595 515 485 425 380 365 345 305 345 445 
			 Don Valley 750 590 510 460 430 360 350 325 395 430 
			 Doncaster Central 1,115 900 725 645 615 545 565 545 650 700 
			 Doncaster North 870 760 595 570 530 465 440 440 565 630 
			 East Yorkshire 545 470 415 390 415 360 310 315 320 365 
			 Elmet 375 320 275 240 195 180 190 170 180 230 
			 Great Grimsby 1,095 1,050 880 865 790 735 670 640 750 815 
			 Halifax 885 760 650 605 550 570 540 455 500 620 
			 Haltemprice  Howden 325 305 245 205 190 180 165 160 170 185 
			 Harrogate  Knaresborough 295 215 185 150 135 120 130 130 125 155 
			 Hemsworth 685 625 560 505 430 380 380 335 415 505 
			 Huddersfield 1,000 880 740 620 595 575 560 485 510 595 
			 Keighley 570 540 505 450 420 405 345 315 335 355 
			 Kingston upon Hull East 1,095 1,095 915 850 790 725 720 690 800 885 
			 Kingston upon Hull North 1,495 1,340 1,115 975 840 840 895 835 920 1,025 
			 Kingston upon Hull West  Hessie 1,140 1,075 880 795 750 730 785 725 795 830 
			 Leeds Central 1,320 1,185 1,035 980 930 955 965 955 1,040 1,115 
			 Leeds East 1,040 880 710 680 635 640 640 625 715 855 
			 Leeds North East 635 540 470 390 365 360 380 345 360 400 
			 Leeds North West 555 430 375 320 285 290 300 260 290 310 
			 Leeds West 740 680 580 545 500 510 485 465 530 615 
			 Morley  Rothwell 450 395 360 310 290 285 295 285 325 380 
			 Normanton 435 380 300 265 240 220 200 160 220 270 
			 Pontefract  Castleford 700 630 570 475 465 445 430 410 475 580 
			 Pudsey 270 240 245 240 210 185 195 155 165 225 
			 Richmond 365 305 255 225 190 190 195 170 165 195 
			 Rother Valley 795 640 580 500 445 410 400 350 405 425 
			 Rotherham 1,020 805 700 655 575 560 555 470 570 585 
			 Ryedale 250 200 200 145 155 140 140 130 115 160 
			 Scarborough  Whitby 680 610 520 475 455 410 375 390 365 420 
			 Scunthorpe 685 645 520 480 505 485 465 405 465 545 
			 Selby 455 395 300 250 215 200 205 195 200 270 
			 Sheffield, Attercliffe 695 550 515 465 440 440 445 355 370 440 
			 Sheffield, Brightside 1,080 855 810 750 675 655 660 580 615 720 
			 Sheffield, Central 1,715 1,310 1,120 1,035 940 895 980 805 705 840 
			 Sheffield, Hallam 465 320 270 225 190 175 190 135 110 165 
			 Sheffield, Heeley 920 755 680 585 520 490 505 430 465 530 
			 Sheffield, Hillsborough 670 500 450 410 340 325 310 255 270 340 
			 Shipley 455 410 360 340 325 325 285 280 275 330 
			 Skipton  Ripon 235 215 185 155 140 115 115 105 115 145 
			 Vale of York 215 170 145 130 120 100 100 90 110 145 
			 Wakefield 715 630 520 455 445 410 400 335 430 500 
			 Wentworth 805 670 595 545 460 395 400 340 385 435 
			 Total 41,145 35,635 30,680 27,850 25,655 24,340 23,950 21,490 23,610 27,255 
			  Notes: 1. Claimant count data by age includes computerised claims only. 2. Results are rounded to nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative data.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' policy is on the recovery of overpaid tax credit in cases where a joint award was made but the couple has separated.

Jane Kennedy: In cases where a household has broken down, both customers remain jointly and severally liable in law for any outstanding overpayment.
	However, the law also allows HM Revenue and Customs to exercise discretion over how much of any overpayment it seeks to recover. In cases where a couple have separated, HMRC will consider carefully how much it should seek to recover from each of the parties, while still recognising that it has the legal authority to collect back the full amount from either of the parties and a duty to protect the public finances.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was collected in repayment of tax credit overpayments by HM Revenue and Customs in each month since April 2003.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.
	Information relating to the recovery of overpayments of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 tax credit awards is contained in section 2, table 4, of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Standard Report in the HM Revenue and Customs 2006-07 Accounts, which is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accounts2007.htm